Columbia  ©nitoetsftp 

THE  LIBRARIES 


Bequest  of 

Frederic  Bancroft 

1860-1945 


^2^  ^i/y  i^ 


THE 


EARLY  AND   LATER 


DELAWARE  BAPTISTS. 


BY 

eev.  eichakd  b.  cook,  a.m., 

Pastor  of  the  Second  Baptist  Church,  "Wilmington, 
Delaware. 


PHILADEXiPHIA,:,    , 

AMERICAN   BAPl:iS'^  PUBIJCAl^XON  .SOi^IETY, 
1420  CHESTNUT    STREEt! 


A 


^' 


CV3 


?7//fc. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1880,  by  the 

AMERICAN  BAPTIST  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


*   ,  "VtESTdbOTTl  &*aJH0MSONj    •    / 
Sferioiyph-s  *and  i:iectrotypers,  Philada. 


PEErAOE. 


At  the  meeting  of  the  Delaware  Baptist 
Union,  at  Media,  Pennsylvania,  November, 
1879,  an  outline  of  "The  Early  and  Later 
Delaware  Baptists"  was  read,  whereupon  a 
Committee,  consisting  of  Prof.  G.  D.  B.  Pep- 
per, D.  D.,  Eev.  George  Bradford,  and  Rev. 
William  H.  Young,  was  appointed  by  the 
"  Union "  to  confer  with  the  author  and  se- 
cure its  publication  in  full. 

The  author  gratefully  acknowledges  his  in- 
debtedness for  books  of  reference,  pamphlets, 
and  manuscripts  to  the  Hon.  H.  G.  Jones,  P. 
Miles  Frame,  Esq.,  Elder  E.  Rittenhouse, 
Rev.  B.  MacMackin ;  and  for  the  most  of  the 
facts  relating  to  the  organizations,  pastors,  etc. 
of  the   early   Baptist    churches   in    Delaware, 


4  PREFACE. 

such  as  Welsh  Tract,  Duck  Creek,  Gravelly 
Branch,  Mispillion,  etc.,  he  is  indebted  to  the 
manuscript  materials  of  Eev.  Morgan  Ed- 
wards, which  are  preserved  in  the  Library 
of  the  American  Baptist  Historical  Society, 
Philadelphia. 

The  author  returns  his  acknowledgments  to 
Louis  H.  Everts,  publisher  of  The  Baptist  En- 
cyclopcedia — which  he  is  now  issuing  under  the 
editorial  care  of  Wm.  Cathcart,  D.  D. — for  elec- 
trotypes of  Abel  Morgan,  D.  D.,  Daniel  Dodge, 
D.D.,  and  Rev.  R  .B.  Cook;  also  to  J.  C.  Hark- 
ness,  A.  M.,  of  Harkness  Academy,  Wilmington, 
for  the  electrotype  of  Welsh  Baptist  Church. 


INTEODUOTIOI^. 

By  Prof.  G.  D.  B.  PEPPER,  D.  D., 
Crozer  Theological  Seminary,  Delaware  Co.,  Penn. 


Inspiration  teaches  us  to  forget  the  things 
which  are  behind,  to  reach  forth  unto  those 
things  which  are  before,  and  to  press  toward 
tlie  mark.  And  well  may  it ;  for  to  us,  in  the 
future  only  is  achievement  j^ossible.  The  past 
will  not  come  to  us,  nor  shall  we  go  to  it.  But 
to  run  well  we  must  run  not  blindly,  but  intel- 
ligently. And  as  we  know  the  future  only  by  a 
study  of  the  past,  we  must  look  back,  in  order 
to  see  ahead.  Practical  Wisdom  ever  lights 
her  torch  at  the  flame  of  history ;  thus  he  who 
best  remembers  ^'  things  which  are  behind  "  for 
instruction,  best  forgets  them  for  attainment. 
This  is  clearly  seen  from  the  structure  of  Holy 
Scripture,  in  which  historical  record  is  domi- 
nant in  influence  and  predominant  in  quantity. 
From  out  that  book  homely  and  lowly  events, 
1*  5 


6  INTRODUCTION. 

told  in  a  plain  and  simple  way,  cast  a  guiding 
light  for  all  the  ages  to  come. 

This  little  History  of  the  Delaware  Baptists 
thus  commends  itself  in  the  very  fact  that  it 
is  a  history.  And  truly  it  well  deserves  the 
name.  The  author,  admirably  qualified  and 
situated  for  its  preparation,  has  spared  no  time, 
labor,  or  expense  to  make  it  an  exact  exhibit 
of  the  actual  course  of  events.  His  facts  are 
not  his  inventions.  Hence  the  lesson  brought 
to  us  is  not  his,  but  theirs.  Hence  the  voice 
which  speaks  to  us  is  that,  not  of  man,  but  of 
providence,  which  is  the  voice  of  God. 

Yet  the  book  is  not  a  mere  heap  of  dead 
facts,  a  pile  of  dry  bones.  History  is  a  life. 
Historic  events  are  the  result  and  manifestation 
of  spirit  and  power.  They  are  bound  together 
organically  by  a  vital  principle,  and  constitute 
a  genuine  development.  Were  this  not  so,  they 
would  have  no  meaning  for  living  men  in  the 
guidance  of  their  lives.  The  writer  of  history 
recognizes  this  life,  grasps,  holds,  and  shows 
it,  and  thus  aids  his  readers  in  understanding 
the  past.  So  does  this  little  work  come  to  us, 
not  simply  as  a  depository  of  facts,  but  also  as 
a  manifestation  of  their  principle  and  meaning. 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

The  presentation,  though  concise,  is  clear,  im- 
partial, and  comprehensive. 

Baptist  history  in  Delaware  has  a  character 
and  value  all  its  own.  It  is  unique.  It  is  not 
distinguished  simply  by  the  place  of  its  enact- 
ment, a  corner  cut  off  from  a  uniform  piece  of 
cloth.  Its  lessons  are  its  own,  and  it  teaches 
them  in  its  own  way.  One  lesson,  especially, 
of  utmost  import  it  makes  solemnly  and  sadly 
prominent.  Perhaps  nowhere  else  in  this  coun- 
try has  Antinomianism,  with  its  natural,  if  not 
inseparable,  attendants  of  anti-Missionism,  anti- 
Sunday-school-ism,  and  all  the  other  kindred 
anti-isms,  so  impressively  by  its  fruits  proved 
its  origin,  nature,  and  doom.  In  doing  this  it 
has  also  proved  with  like  certainty  its  antag- 
onism to  the  genuine  Baptist  faith  and  prac- 
tice. While  the  earliest  and  the  latest  Baptists 
are  one  in  spirit  and  doctrine,  they  are  both 
irreconcilably  in  antagonism  with  this  distor- 
tion of  divine  truth.  Its  defenders  may  claim 
and  receive  the  Baptist  name,  but  they  have 
no  right  to  it.  It  does  not  belong  to  them. 
That  they  wear  it  works  mischief  to  those  to 
whom  it  does  belong,  for  it  leads  many  to 
confound   the    true   with    the   false,   and    un- 


8  INTRODUCTION. 

justly  to  regard  the  true  as  they  justly  do 
the  false. 

But  while  this  defection  carries  its  lesson  of 
humiliation  and  warning,  there  remains  much 
equally  instructive  of  which  to  be  proud.  He- 
roic men,  able  ministers  of  the  New  Testament, 
with  fellow-workers  of  kindred  spirit  all  astir 
with  Christian  enterprise,  their  hearts  and  hands 
always  ready  for  every  good  work,  sowed  good 
seed  in  the  soil  of  Delaware.  That  enemies 
from  their  own  number,  bearing  their  own 
name,  afterward  sowed  tares  almost  to  the 
destruction  of  the  wheat,  was  not  their  fault. 
The  record  of  their  lives  and  w^orks  is  an  ample 
vindication  of  the  Baptist  name,  and  will  be 
an  inspiration  to  Baptist  workers. 

Delaware  needs,  what  God  is  giving  her,  a 
revival  of  the  old  cause  and  a  resurrection  of 
its  old  champions.  Dr.  J.  D.  Fulton  once  said 
that  "  a  Baptist  Church  is  an  illuminated  edition 
of  the  New  Testament."  Of  the  true  idea  of 
a  Baptist  Church,  fully  realized,  this  is  hardly 
too  much  to  say.  Its  members  are  all  members 
of  Christ's  spiritual  body.  Its  Head  is  Christ, 
and  him  only.  Its  law  is  the  New  Testament 
itself.     Its  authoritative  Interpreter  of  the  law 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

is  the  Holy  Spirit,  so  enlightening  all  as  to  secure 
harmony  of  view  and  action.  Its  officers  are 
presbyters,  or  bishops,  and  deacons.  Its  ordi- 
nances are  the  two  prescribed  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament, observed  as  there  given,  administered 
to  those  only  for  Vv'hom  they  were  given,  to 
express  the  great  spiritual  facts  and  truths 
committed  to  them,  and  observed  in  the  order 
fixed  alike  by  their  own  nature  and  the  word 
of  inspiration.  It  holds  itself  and  each  of  its 
members  bound  to  do  everything  possible  to 
put  the  gospel  into  all  human  hearts  and 
forms  of  human  life  all  the  world  over. 
Catholic  in  sympathies,  its  members  love  all 
God's  children,  whatever  their  names,  and  are 
ready  to  co-operate  with  them  or  anybody  else 
in  all  good  works,  but  refuse  to  countenance  a 
subversion  of  Christ's  revealed  will,  wliether 
intentional  or  unintentional.  This  ideal  church 
may  be  rare,  but  the  present  BajDtists  of  Dela- 
ware intend  to  make  it  easy  to  find  just  such  a 
church  anywhere  in  the  State.  This  little  vol- 
ume is  intended  and  is  well  fitted  to  become  a 
help  to  this  end. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

I.  THE  EAELY  BAPTIST  CHUKCHES 14 

1.  The  Welsh  Tract  Church,  1701 14 

2.  Labors  of  Baker  and  Hughes,  1775 22 

3.  The  Sounds  Church,  1779 27 

4.  Broad  Creek  Church,  1781 28 

5.  Cow  Marsh  Church,  1781 30 

6.  BrynZion  Church,  1781 31 

7.  Mispillion  Church,  1783-1848 34 

8.  Gravelly  Branch  Church,  1785 37 

9.  The  Bethel 38 

10.  First  Church,  Wilmington,  1785 40 

11.  Distinguished  Men 51 

12.  The  Delaware  Association,  1795 74 

II.  THE  LATER  BAPTIST   CHURCHES 96 

1.  Second  Church,  Wilmington,  1835 96 

2.  Dover  Church,  1852 103 

3.  First  German  Church,  Wilmington,  1856 107 

4.  Delaware  Avenue  Church,  Wilmington,  1865.  112 

11 


12  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

5.  Plymouth  Churcb,  1867-1873 115 

6.  Lincoln  Church,  1869-1873 117 

7.  Zion  Church,  1871 118 

8.  Wyoming  Church,  1872 120 

9.  Magnolia  Church,  1873 121 

10.  Milford  Church,  1873 122 

11.  Elm  Street  Church,  Wilmington,  1873-1876...  123 

12.  Shiloh  Church,  Wilmington,  1876 123 

13.  New  Castle  Church,  1876 124 

14.  Bethany  Church,  1878 127 

15.  Wilmington  Baptist  City  Mission,  1870 130 

16.  Wyoming  Institute,  1869 130 

17.  Delaware  Baptist  Union,  1878 132 

III.  CONCLUSION 143 


THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 
DELAWARE  BAPTISTS, 


Ix  the  fall  of  1682,  William  Penn  sailed  up 
the  Delaware  to  take  charge  in  person  of  his 
large  estates  in  the  New  World.  He  landed 
first  at  New  Castle,  Delaware,  and  then  went 
on  to  Philadelphia.  There  were  Baptists 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Pennsylvania, 
for  the  Cold  Spring  Baptist  Church  was 
formed  in  1685,  and  in  1 688  the  oldest  existing 
Baptist  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  the  Lower 
Dublin,  at  Pennypack,  now  in  Philadelphia. 
The  ''  Old  Swedes'  Church/'  Wilmington,  re- 
garded as  "  among  the  antiquities  of  American 
civilization,"  was  built  in  1698,  or  ten  years 
later.  As  early  as  1703  a  Baptist  Church  ex- 
isted in  Delaware.  The  Baptist  churches  first 
formed  in  this  State   were  mostly  of  Welsh 

2  18 


14  THE    EARLY    AND    LATER 

origin.  The  earlier  churches  became  eventual- 
ly Antinomian  in  doctrine  and  practice,  but  the 
later  churches  have  always  been  missionary. 
For  other  reasons,  therefore,  besides  those  of 
convenience  and  of  origin,  we  treat  them  sepa- 
rately. At  one  period  of  their  history  these 
early  churches  were  one  in  doctrine  and  practice 
with  the  Baptist  churches  of  to-day. 

I.— THE  EAELY   BAPTIST   CHUKCHES. 
1.  The  Welsh  Tract  Church,  1701. 

For  the  origin  of  this,  the  first  Baptist 
Church  in  the  State,  we  must  cross  the  Atlantic 
to  Wales.  In  the  spring  of  1701,  sixteen  Bap- 
tists in  the  counties  of  Pembroke  and  Caer- 
marthen  resolved  to  go  to  America.  They 
formed  themselves  into  a  church,  with  Rev. 
Thomas  Griffith,  one  of  their  number,  as  Pas- 
tor. They  embarked  at  Milford  Haven  in  June, 
1701,  and  have  been  properly  styled  a  "church 
emigrant."  They  landed  at  Philadelphia,  Sep- 
tember 8,  1701,  where  they  were  courteously 
received  by  the  brethren,  and  advised  to  settle 
about  Pennypack,  to  which  place  they  removed. 
They  continued  at  Pennypack  about  a  year  and 
a  half,  during  which  time  their  church  increased 


WELSH  TRACT  BAPTIST  CHURCH, 
From  Hill  near  Newark. 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  15 

from  sixteen  to  thirty-seven.  Then  they  "  took 
up  '^  land  in  New  Castle  County — one  of  the 
three  counties  of  Delaware  then  in  Pennsyl- 
vania— from  Messrs.  Evans,  Davis,  and  Willi;^, 
who  had  purchased  upward  of  thirty  thousand 
acres  of  William  Penn,  called  the  ^'  Welsli 
Tract."  To  this  they  removed  in  1703,  leav- 
ing some  of  their  number  at  Pennypack,  and 
receiving  while  there  accessions  in  return.  At 
Iron  Hill  they  built  a  small  meeting-house, 
which  occupied  the  site  upon  which  the  present 
one,  erected  in  1746,  stands.  It  is  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Newark.  In  the  yard  around  the 
church  sleep  the  successive  generations  that 
have  in  their  time  and  turn  w^orshipped  in  that 
place.  The  new  church  was  joined  from  time 
to  time  by  others  from  Pennypack  and  from 
Wales.  Many  also  united  with  them  by  baj)- 
tism  ;  and,  being  aggressive,  their  principles 
soon  spread  in  Delaware,  and  also  into  the  ad- 
jacent parts  of  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland, 
and  as  far  as  South  Carolina.  The  Welsh 
Tract  Church  was  the  mother  of  the  London 
Tract  (Pennsylvania)  and  the  Duck  Creek 
(Delaware)  churches,  and  in  some  degree  of 
the  Wilmington,  Cow  Marsh,  and  Mispillion 


16  THE   EARLY    AND    LATER 

churches  (Delaware),  since  her  pastors  labored 
successfully  in  these  latter  places,  and  many  of 
the  converts,  having  united  with  that  church, 
were  dismissed  at  times  to  form  the  churches 
that  were  organized  in  these  fields. 

In  November,  1736,  forty-eight  members, 
says  Edwards,  under  the  leadership  of  Rev. 
Abel  Morgan,  "  late  of  Middletown,'^  were  dis- 
missed to  form  the  Welsh  Neck  Church,  on 
Pedee  River,  South  Carolina,  where  they  had 
settled.  Benedict  gives  James  James,  whose 
son  Philip  became  their  Pastor,  as  their  leader, 
and  as  the  date  of  the  settlement  1737,  and 
that  of  the  formation  of  the  church  January, 
1738,  and  says  that  the  number  was  thirty 
when  organized.  AVhen  he  wrote,  it  was  the 
largest  as  well  as  the  oldest  church  in  the 
Welsh  Neck  Association,  which  was  composed 
of  thirty-eight  churches,  and  was  the  mother 
of  all  the  churches  in  that  region.* 

But  to  return.  Says  Morgan  Edwards,  in 
his  manuscript  ("Materials  toward  a  History 
of  the  Baptists  of  Delaware,''  pp.  232,  233)': 
^'  Welsh  Tract  Church  w^as  the  principal,  if  not 
sole,  means  of  introducing  singing,  imposition 

*  Benedict's  Ristoi-y  of  the  Baptists,  pp.  704,  705,  710. 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  17 

of  hands,  church  covenants,  etc.  among  the 
Baptists  in  the  Middle  States.  The  Century 
Confession  was  in  America  before  the  year 
1716,  but  without  the  articles  which  relate  to 
those  subjects."  "  That  year  they  were  inserted 
by  Eev.  Abel  Morgan,  who  translated  the  Con- 
fession into  Welsh,  after  being  signed  by  one 
hundred  and  twenty-two  of  the  members  of 
the  Welsh  Tract  Church.  They  were  inserted 
in  the  next  English  edition,  and  adopted  with 
the  other  articles  by  the  Association  [Philadel- 
phia] of  1742.  Singing  ])salms  met  with  op- 
position, especially  at  Cohansey,  but  laying  on 
of  hands  on  baptized  believers,  as  such,  gained 
acce})tance  with  more  difficulty,  as  appears  from 
the  following  history,  translated  from  ^  Welsh 
Tract  Church  Book  ^  —  that  is,  the  church 
record,  which  up  to  1732  was  kept  in  Welsh: 
^  AVe  could  not  be  in  fellowship  (at  the  Lord^s 
Table)  with  our  brethren  in  Pennepek  and 
Philadelphia,  because  they  did  not  hold  to  the 
lay ing-on-of -hands  (on  baptized  believers)  and 
some  other  particulars  (as  to  church  covenants, 
ruling  elders,  etc.)  relating  to  a  church.' " 

The  difficulty  increased,  owing  to  the  pres- 
ence among  them  of  members  who  had  joined 

2*  B 


18  THE    EARLY    AND   LATER 

them  at  Peunypack.  It  was  settled  by  deputies 
at  the  house  of  Richard  Miles,  Radnor,  Penn- 
sylvania, June  22,  1706,  on  the  side  of  mutual 
forbearance,  liberty,  and  union.  When  an 
effort  was  made  three  years  after  by  some  to 
reopen  the  matter,  the  church  refused,  saying, 
"  We  are  satisfied  that  all  was  right,  by  the 
good  effects  that  followed,  for  from  that  time 
forward  our  brethren  held  sweet  communion 
together  at  the  Lord's  Table,  and  our  minister 
was  invited  to  preach  and  assisted  at  an  ordina- 
tion at  Pennepek  after  the  death  of  our  brother 
Watts.  He  proceeded  from  thence  to  the  Jer- 
sey's, where  he  enlightened  many  in  the  good 
ways  of  the  Lord,  insomuch  that,  in  three  years 
after,  all  the  ministers  and  about  fifty-five  pri- 
vate members  had  submitted  to  the  ordinance." 
So  it  appears  from  Edwards,  in  the  extract 
above,  that  the  Welsh  Tract  Church  numbered 
at  least  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  in  1716. 

Benedict  says  (page  304):  "The  church  is 
very  handsomely  endowed."  According  to 
Edwards,  the  endowment  yielded  an  annual 
income  of  one  hundred  pounds,  or  about  five 
hundred  dollars.  The  pulpit  was  filled  by 
good  and  able  men  of  Welsh   extraction  for 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  19 

about  seventy  years.  The  following  is  a  list 
of  the  Pastors  of  the  church,  with  dates  indi- 
cating the  period  of  their  service,  and  in  the 
order  of  their  succession,  as  far  as  we  can  as- 
certain :  Rev.  Thomas  Griffith  *  was  born  in 
Wales  in  1645,  and  emigrated  with  the  church, 
which  he  served  as  Pastor  for  twenty-four  years. 
He  died  at  Pennypack  July  25,  1725.  He 
visited  New  Jersey  in  1706  and  1711,  and 
taught  the  people,  stirring  up  young  men  to 
use  their  gifts,  and  thus  many  churches  were 
soon  su})plied  with  pastors  from  their  own 
members. 

Rev.  Elisha  Thomas  was  born  in  Wales  in 
1674,  and  emigrated  with  the  church,  being 
one  of  its  constituent  members.  He  died  Nov. 
7,  1730,  and  was  buried  in  the  churchyard, 
"  where,''  says  Edwards,  "  a  handsome  tomb  is 
erected  to  his  memory."  This  tomb,  still  pre- 
served, would  hardly  be  regarded  now,  after  the 
lapse  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  years,  as  being 
"  handsome  "  with  its  rude  carvings  of  an  open 
Bible  and  inscriptions — 

"With  uncouth  rhymes  and  shapeless  sculpture  decked." 

*  Mr.  Edwards  writes  this  name  Griffiths. 


20  THE    EARLY    AND    LATER 

Rev.  Enoch  Morgan,  the  next  Pastor,  was 
also  a  constituent  member  of  the  church,  and 
came  over  with  them.  He  was  a  half-brother 
to  Rev.  Benjamin  Griffith,  Pastor  of  Montgom- 
ery Baptist  Church,  Pennsylvania,  who  was 
also  for  years  Moderator  of  the  Philadelphia 
Association,  and  a  brother  of  the  Pev.  Abel 
Morgan,  author  of  the  Welsh  Concordance. 
Their  father  was  a  famous  Baptist  minister  in 
Wales,  named  Morgan  ap  Phyddarch.  Enoch 
Morgan  was  born  in  Wales  in  1676,  died  March 
25,  1740,  and  was  buried  in  the  churchyard  at 
Welsh  Tract,  where  his  tomb  still  stands. 

Pev.  Owen  Thomas  was  born  in  Wales  in 
1676,  and  came  to  America  in  1707.  He  be- 
came Pastor  in  1740,  resigned  in  1748,  and 
died  in  1760.  He  was  "held  in  dear  remem- 
brance by  all  that  knew  him,"  and  was  styled 
"an  excellent  man." 

Pev.  David  Davis,  born  in  Wales  in  1708, 
came  to  America  in  1710,  was  baptized  Jan- 
uary, 1729,  and  ordained  at  Welsh  Tract,  1734, 
at  which  time  he  became  Pastor,  serving  the 
church  thirty-five  years.  He  died  in  1769,  and 
was  buried  in  the  graveyard  of  the  church,  where 
"  a  handsome  stone  covers  his  remains  also." 


DELAWAKE   BAPTISTS.  21 

Rev.  John  Sutton  was  the  first  Pastor  of  the 
church  who  was  born  in  America.  He  became 
Pastor,  November  3,  1770,  and  resigned  to  go 
to  Virginia  in  1777.  He  was  a  native  of  New 
Jersey,  and  a  man  of  considerable  distinction. 

Rev.  John  Boggs,  his  successor,  was  an  able- 
bodied  man,  says  the  Chronicle,  hence  he  travel- 
led much,  preaching  in  the  surrounding  country. 
He  was  born  in  1741,  bred  a  Presbyterian, 
baptized  at  Welsh  Tract,  November  3,  1771, 
was  ordained  and  took  charge  of  the  church, 
December  5,  1781,  and  died  there  in  1802. 

Rev.  Gideon  Farrell  was  born  in  Talbot  Coun- 
ty, Maryland,  in  1763.  He  was  bred  a  Quaker, 
but  was  baptized  by  Philip  Hughes  in  1770  at 
the  Sounds,  and  ordained  at  Churchill  in  1779. 
Mr.  Farrell  had  preached  about  once  a  month 
for  the  church  for  seven  years,  aiding  the  Pas- 
tor, before  he  was  invested  with  the  pastoral 
office.  He  remained  Pastor  until  his  death,  in 
1820  or  1821. 

Rev.  Stephen  W.  Woolford  served  them  from 
1822  to  1830.* 

*  Taken  from  the  Minutes  of  the  Delaware  Association. 
The  Delaware  Association  Minutes  for  1837,  '38,  73,  and 
'76  inaccessible. 


22  THE   EARLY    AND    LATER 

Elder  Samuel  Trott,  from  1831  to  1832.*— 
Elder  William  K.  Robinson  from  1833  to  1836,* 
or  later.  He  died  in  1843  or  1844.  — Elder 
Thomas  Barton  from  1839*  until  his  death  in 
1869  or  1870.  He  had  then  been  sixty  years 
in  the  Christian  ministry,  forty-five  of  which 
were  spent  within  the  bounds  of  the  Delaware 
Association  as  Pastor  of  three  of  its  churches. 
—Elder  G.  W.  Staton  in  1871  and  1872.*— 
Elder  William  Grafton  appears  as  Pastor  in 
1877.— No  Pastor  in  1879.t 

2.  Labors  of  Baker  and  Hughes,  1778. 
There  came  from  Virginia  into  Delaware,  at 
the  close  of  1778,  Rev.  Elijah  Baker,  and  in 
the  spring  of  1779  he  was  followed  by  Rev. 
Philip  Hughes  from  the  same  State.  They 
labored  together  "as  evangelists"  for  about 
twelve  moutlis,  preaching  at  Broad  Creek, 
Gravelly   Branch,    and    other    places.      Many 

^  Taken  from  the  Minutes  of  the  Delaware  Association. 
The  Delaware  Association  Minutes  for  1837,  '38,  73,  and 
'76  inaccessible. 

t  As  far  as  can  be  learned  from  the  Minutes  of  the  Del- 
aware Association  accessible  to  the  writer,  this  is  a  correct 
list.  If  there  is  any  error,  doubtless  it  occurs  after  1870, 
to  which  date  it  is  accurate. 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  23 

converts  were  "  baptized  on  profession  of  faith 
and  repentance/'  They  prepared  materials  and 
resolved  to  build  churches.  At  first  thev  and 
their  disciples  went  by  the  name  of  Separate 
Baptists,  but  the  distinction  was  soon  dropped. 
They  were  not  only  well  received  and  their 
labors  approved,  but,  in  their  eflPorts  to  save 
souls,  were  aided  on  every  hand  by  Baptist 
ministers  and  laymen,  who  helped  them  also 
in  the  constitution  of  churches  and  in  the  or- 
dination of  ministers.  And  none  were  more 
zealous  in  this  united  effort  than  Messrs.  John 
Boggs  and  Thomas  Fleeson,  Pastors  respective- 
ly of  Welsh  Tract  and  London  Tract  churches. 

Messrs.  Baker  and  Hughes  were  instrumental 
in  founding  twenty-one  churches  in  Virginia, 
Maryland,  and  Delaware,  and  spent  much  time 
in  '^  visiting  them,  as  fathers  do  their  children." 
The  Salisbury  Association  was  organized  by 
them.  It  takes  its  name  from  a  town  in  Mary- 
land near  the  Delaware  line,  where  this  Associa- 
tion was  formed,  and  distinguished  as  the  birth- 
place of  Rev.  Noah  Davis,  the  founder  of  the 
American  Baptist  Publication  Society. 

Mr.  Baker's  life  is  recorded  both  by  J.  B. 
Taylor,  D.  D.,  in  his  Lives  of  Virginia  Baptist 


24  THE    EAELY   AND    LATER 

Ministers,  and  Rev.  R.  B.  Semple  in  his  His- 
tory of  the  Rise  and  Progress  of  the  Baptists  in 
Virginia.  The  latter  publishes  a  letter  from 
Dr.  Robert  Lemon,  for  years  Moderator  of  the 
Salisbury  Association,  at  whose  house  he  died 
^N'overaber  6,  1798,  testifying  to  his  exalted 
Christian  character,  the  faithfulness  and  power 
of  his  preaching,  and  his  triumph  in  the  hour 
of  death,  when  he  "  seemed  rather  to  be  trans- 
lated than  to  suffer  pain  in  his  dissolution  " — 
(p.  397).  Morgan  Edwards,  in  his  "  Materials 
.  .  .  Delaware,"  pp.  247,  248,  gives  us  an  inter- 
esting account  as  to  how  Mr.  Baker  came  to 
leave  Virginia,  where  he  was  born  in  1742, 
and  baptized  by  the  famous  Samuel  Harris  in 
1769,  and  where  he  suffered  much  for  the  word 
of  God.  He  came  into  Delaware  upon  "an 
invitation  from  Thomas  Batston,  Esq.,  who 
had  heard  him  preach  through  the  grates  in 
Accomac  jail  about  the  year  1777.  The  rude 
Virginians,  in  order  to  get  rid  of  him,  put  him 
on  board  a  privateer,  where  he  suffered  much 
abuse,  but  he  continued  to  sing,  and  pray,  and 
exhort  notwithstanding,  till  the  crew^  was  tired, 
and  then  let  him  alone,  saying,  ^  He  is  not  worth 
a  curse ;'  but  the  privateer  being  detained  long 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  25 

in  tlie  harbor  by  contrary  wind,  the  crew 
suspected  that  the  cause  was  that  preaching 
fellow,  and  therefore  put  him  on  board  another 
vessel ;  but  the  wind  continuing  contrary,  that 
vessel  began  to  be  of  the  same  mind  with  the 
privateer,  and  therefore  shifted  him  to  a  third, 
and  the  third  put  him  ashore.  When  Jonah 
found  himself  on  the  dry  land  he  complied 
with  Squire  Batston's  invitation."  And  be  it 
said  to  the  credit  of  Delaware  that  she  had  no 
prison,  like  Virginia,  nor  whipping-post,  like 
Massachusetts,  for  Baptists,  who  were  left  un- 
disturbed in  their  views  and  practices.  And 
Delaware  has  to  thank  for  this  liberty  her  gov- 
ernor, William  Penn,  whose  father.  Admiral 
Penn  of  the  English  navy,  tradition  says,  was 
a  Baptist.  And  Penn  was  only  exemplifying 
the  time -honored  Baptist  principle  of  equal 
liberty  for  all  when  he  came  to  establish  ^'a 
civil  society  of  men  enjoying  the  highest  degree 
of  freedom  and  happiness.^^ 

The  account  that  Mr.  Edwards  gives  of  Mr. 
Baker's  co-laborer  is  not  without  interest.  He 
says  :  "  Rev.  Philip  Hughes  shares  in  the  praise 
of  Mr.  Baker,  as  they  were  fellow-laborers  in 
most  of  the  good  that  was  done  in  this  and 


26  THE   EAELY   AND    LATER 

other  States.  He  was  born  in  Colver  County, 
November  28,  1750,  bred  a  Churchman,  avow- 
ed his  present  sentiments,  August  10,  1773, 
when  he  was  baptized  by  Rev.  David  Thomp- 
son, called  to  the  ministry  in  Rowanty  Church, 
was  ordained  at  an  Association  held  in  Vir- 
ginia, August  13,  1776.  .  .  .  He  published  a 
volume  of  hymns  in  1782,  many  of  which  are 
of  his  own  composing;  also  an  answer  to  a 
Virginia  clergyman  on  the  subject  of  baptism 
in  1784.  He  also  was  obliged  twice  to  appear 
on  the  stage  to  dispute  on  the  subject — once  at 
Fouling  Creek  in  Maryland  in  1782.  His  an- 
tagonist was  a  Methodist  preacher  of  the  name 
of  Willis.  Victory  was  announced  by  both 
parties,  but  facts  varied  much,  for  after  the  dis- 
pute three  class-leaders  and  many  others  were 
baptized  by  Mr.  Hughes.  The  other  dispute 
was  held  near  the  mouth  of  [the]  Potomac,  in 
Virginia,  in  the  year  1785.  Mr.  Hughes's 
challenger  was  one  Coles,  another  Methodist 
preacher.  Here  the  victory  was  decisive,  for 
twenty-two  of  the  audience  were  baptized  the 
next  day,  and  soon  after  as  many  more  by  Rev. 
Lewis  Lunsford.'^ — MaterialSy  Del.,  pp.  248, 
249. 


delawaee  baptists.  27 

3.  The  Sounds  Chuech,  1779. 
The  second  Baptist  Church  in  Delaware  was 
the  Sounds,  in  Baltimore  Hundred,  Sussex 
County.  In  1791  it  had  no  *^  temporalities," 
no  meeting-house,  no  fixed  salary.  They  held 
their  meetings  in  the  dwellings  of  Tull  and 
Wilegoos.  It  has  ceased  to  exist.  It  was 
formed  August  12,  1779,  with  twenty -five 
members,  through  the  labors  of  Messrs.  Baker 
and  Hughes,  and  was  one  of  the  ten  that 
formed  the  Salisbury  Association  in  1782. 
From  this  church,  says  Edwards,  sprang  six 
ministers :  John,  Samuel,  and  Jonathan  Gib- 
bins,  Eliphaz  Dazey,  Gideon  Farrell,  and  Ed- 
ward Carter  Dingle,  the  latter  a  son  of  a  cler- 
gyman of  the  Church  of  England.  Messrs. 
Baker  and  Hughes  first  supplied  it  with  preach- 
ing ;  then  the  neighboring  pastors.  The  Rev. 
Jonathan  Gibbins  was  their  first  Pastor.  He 
was  born  in  Broad  Creek  Hundred,  December 
16,  1751 ;  called  to  the  ministry  in  this  church, 
and  ordained  April  16,  1787,  by  Rev.  Messrs. 
Hughes  and  Dazey,  when  he  assumed  pas- 
toral charge  of  this  and  of  the  Broad  Creek 
Church. 


28  the  early  and  later 

4.  Broad  Creek  Church,  1781. 
This  church  was  in  Sussex  County,  and  was 
the  third  organized  in  the  State.  It  was  con- 
stituted May  31,  1781,  through  the  labors  of 
Messrs.  Hughes  and  Baker,  with  forty-seven 
members.  In  1791  they  had  no  house  of  wor- 
ship, but  worshipped  in  the  dwellings  of  the 
members  in  rotation,  and  had  the  Lord's  Supper 
administered  quarterly.  The  minister's  "  in- 
come, twenty  pounds,  including  perquisites.'' 
It  helped  to  form  the  Salisbury  Association. 
It  decreased  in  ten  years  from  forty-seven  to 
twenty-three,  because  several  families  emigrated 
hence  to  Georgia  and  other  Southern  parts  about 
the  year  1784,  and  a  considerable  number  were 
detached  to  form  a  church,  in  1785,  at  Gravel- 
ly Branch.  The  first  ministers  of  this  church 
were  its  founders.  Rev.  John  Gibbins  was  the 
first  Pastor.  He  was  born  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, raised  a  Presbyterian,  and  was  one  of 
the  first  converts  of  Messrs.  Baker  and  Hughes. 
He  was  called  to  the  ministry  by  the  Sounds 
Church.  After  his  ordination  at  Fouling  Creek 
he  travelled  abroad  till  1784,  w^hen  he  returned 
and  became  Pastor  of  this  church.     He  rem- 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  29 

edied  the  defects  of  his  early  education  by  per- 
sonal industry  so  far  as  to  be  master  of  his 
mother  tongue.  Says  Morgan  Edwards  ("  Ma- 
terials, Delaware/'  p.  253):  "In  a  conversation 
I  had  with  him  in  1786  he  lamented  that  he 
could  not  read  his  Testament  in  the  language 
of  Christ  and  his  apostles,  rather  than  dej)end 
on  translations,  without  which  knowledge  of 
Greek  he  deemed  it  impossible  to  study  the 
gospel  critically.  He  was  therefore  determined 
to  visit  Rhode  Island  College,  but  the  small- 
pox broke  his  resolution  at  Wilmington,  where 
he  died  in  1786."  This  shows  that  special 
training  for  the  gospel  ministry  was  appreciated 
in  Delaware  at  an  early  day.  He  was  brother 
to  Eev.  Samuel  Gibbins,  to  whose  labors  the 
churches  in  Sussex  County,  Delaware,  and  in 
other  States,  owe  great  obligation.  Of  the  Gib- 
bins  family,  as  of  the  household  of  Stephanas, 
it  may  be  said,  "  They  have  addicted  them- 
selves to  the  ministry  of  the  saints." 

His  successor,  Rev.  John  Benson,  was  born 
in  Worcester  County,  Maryland.  He  was  bred 
a  Presbyterian.  After  he  became  a  Baptist  he 
employed  himself  in  reading  sermons  to  the 
peoj^le  when  no  minister  happened  to  be  pres- 
3* 


30  THE    EARLY   AND    LATER 

entj  and  afterward  began  to  preach  in  the  as- 
sembhes  of  the  church.  He  continued  this 
course  till  June  14,  1790,  when  he  was  ordain- 
ed by  Rev.  Messrs.  Hughes,  John  Pollard, 
Jonathan  Gibbins,  and  Edward  Carter  Dingle, 
and  at  once  took  pastoral  charge  of  this  church 
in  conjunction  with  that  of  Gravelly  Branch. 
He  was  assisted  in  his  work  by  Deacon  Joshua 
Gibbins.     He  died  in  1818  or  '19. 

Rev.  Joseph  Flood,  born  at  Welsh  Tract, 
November  2,  1767,  converted  and  baptized 
there  in  1790,  and  ordained  at  Cow  Marsh, 
December  11,  1791,  became  Pastor,  August 
11,  1792. 

5.  Cow  Marsh  Church,  1781. 
The  fourth  church  constituted  was  the  Cow 
Marsh  (or  Mount  Moriah)  Church,  in  Kent 
County,  July  18,  1781.  John  Sutton,  Pastor 
at  Welsh  Tract,  preached  here  in  1780.  Then 
Messrs.  Isaac  Stelle,  R.  Kelsay,  William  Worth, 
and  others  performed  a  like  service.  In  1782, 
James  Sutton  came  and  baptized.  Others  were 
baptized  here  and  at  Welsh  Tract,  and  twenty- 
six  were  formed  into  a  church  by  Messrs.  Boggs 
and  Fleeson.     Seven  of  these  were  from  the 


DELAWAEE   BAPTISTS.  31 

AVelsh  Tract  Church.  They  joined  the  Phil- 
adelphia Association  in  1786;  had  no  house  of 
worship  in  1791,  but  met  for  worship  at  the 
dwelling  of  Job  Meredith,  Sr.  They  were  pre- 
paring to  build  in  1781,  and  had  a  considerable 
sum  subscribed,  but  their  active  friend,  Luff 
Meredith,  died,  when  the  design  was  abandon- 
ed. They  were  talking  of  putting  it  into  exe- 
cution when  Edwards  wrote  in  1791.  The 
Mispillion  is  in  part  the  offspring  of  this 
church.  Rev.  Eliphaz  Dazey  became  Pastor, 
April  21,  1787,  taking  upon  him  also  the 
oversight  of  the  Duck  Creek  Church.  He 
was  born  October  26,  1754,  in  Sussex  County, 
Delaware,  and  ordained  July  12,  1784.  He 
resigned  October  25,  1788,  but  revisited  them 
for  a  considerable  time.  Messrs.  Farrell  and 
Dewees  administered  the  ordinances  among 
them   for   some    time. 

6.  Bryn  Zion  Church,  1781. 
The  Duck  Creek  (or  Bryn  Zion)  Church, 
Kent  County,  was  organized  November  24, 1781 . 
It  was  a  branch  of  the  Welsh  Tract  Church 
from  1733  until  its  constitution  into  a  church. 
This  church  consisted  of  three  branches — the 


32  THE    EARLY    AND   LATER 

one  near  Duck  Creek,  another  at  East  Landing, 
and  the  third  at  Georgetown.  The  latter  branch 
originated  through  the  preaching  of  Messrs. 
Fleeson  and  Boggs,  who  went  there  by  invita- 
tion of  a  Mr.  Parsons,  a  Methodist.  They  re- 
peated their  visit,  and  otlier  ministers  succeeded 
them,  until  sixteen  persons  were  converted  and 
baptized,  and  joined  the  Duck  Creek  Church. 

The  tract  of  land  known  as  Duck  Creek 
Hundred  was  settled  in  1733  by  a  number  of 
Welsh  families,  some  of  them  Independents 
and  some  Baptists.  Of  the  Baptists,  there 
were  eight  or  ten  families  who  came  from  the 
Welsh  Tract.  The  Independents  had  a  church 
and  a  house,  which  they  called  Mount  Zion. 
This  church  wasted  away,  and  the  Baptists  wor- 
shipped in  their  house  while  it  stood,  and  re- 
built it  in  1771,  when  the  lot  was  conveyed 
to  them.  The  house  was  of  brick,  thirty  by 
twenty-five  feet,  and,  as  the  historian  says,  "ac- 
commodated with  a  stove."  It  still  stands,  and 
is  in  the  neighborhood  of  Smyrna.  They  had 
preaching  before  their  organization  by  Rev. 
Enoch  Morgan,  Rev.  Hugh  Davis  of  the 
Great  Valley,  Pennsylvania,  and  Rev.  David 
Davis  of  Welsh  Tract.     Rev.  Griffith  Jones 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  33 

settled  among  them  in  1749,  and  continued 
until  his  death  in  1754.  In  the  spring  of  1766 
Rev.  William  Davis  of  New  Britain,  Pennsyl- 
vania, settled  among  them,  but  soon  died.  Tlien 
Rev.  Messrs.  David  Davis,  John  Sutton,  John 
Boggs,  and  others  ministered  there  till  they 
numbered  thirty  in  all,  when  they  petitioned 
the  Welsh  Tract  Church  for  permission  to  be- 
come a  separate  church,  having  continued  a 
branch  of  the  Welsh  Tract  for  forty-eight  years 
— 1733  to  1781 — and  were  received  into  the 
Philadelphia  Association  in  1786.  In  1791 
the  membership  was  seventy-four,  and  the  min- 
ister's revenue  was  eighty  pounds,  or  about  four 
hundred  dollars.  While  the  Independent 
Church  flourished  the  Baptists  often  worship- 
ped and  had  administered  to  thorn  the  Lord's 
Supper  in  private  houses,  as  in  those  of  James 
Hyatt  and  Evan  David  Hughs.  Their  Pastors 
after  organization  were  Rev.  Eliphaz  Dazey, 
who  resigned  October  25,  1787,  and  Rev. 
Messrs.  James  Jones,  John  Patten,  and  Gideon 
Farrell,  who  were  co-Pastorr^.  Dr.  and  Rev. 
James  Jones  was  born  at  Welsli  Tract,  April  6, 
1756,  and  died  in  1829.  He  was  there  licensed 
to  })reach  November  2,  1782,  and  was  educated 
c 


34  THE    EARLY    AXD   LATER 

at  Newark  Academy,  where  he  also,  as  Ed- 
wards says,  studied  "physic."  April  7,  1789, 
he  took  joint  oversight  of  the  church  with  Rev. 
John  Patten,  who  was  ordained  the  same  day. 
The  latter  was  born  at  Cow  Marsh,  December 
15, 1752,  and  called  to  the  ministry  and  licensed 
by  the  church  there  June  14,  1788.  Rev. 
Gideon  Farrell,  associated  with  them,  has  been 
mentioned  in  connection  with  the  Welsh  Tract 
Church. 

7.  MispiLLiox  Church,  1783-1848. 
The  Mispillion,  in  Kent  County,  Avas  the 
sixth  church,  and  was  organized  May  10,  1783. 
Messrs.  Boggs  and  Fleeson  preached  there  in 
1781.  They  repeated  their  visits,  and  baptized 
some  candidates,  five  of  whom  joined  the  church 
at  Cow  Marsh.  Messrs.  Baker  and  Hughes 
then  labored  here  and  baptized,  when  twenty 
converts  were  collected  and  constituted  a  church. 
They  joined  the  Philadelphia  Association  in 
1785,  but  in  1789  requested  release  to  unite 
with  the  Salisbury  Association.  They  had  no 
house  in  1791,  and  worshipped  in  the  house 
of  C.  Dewees.  Says  Mr.  Edwards  (p.  270) : 
"  This  church  hath,  in  eight  years,  decreased 


DELAWAEE   BAPTISTS.  35 

from  twenty  to  eleven,  owing  to  deaths,  emi- 
grations, and  no  additions  equal  to  losses ;  and 
it  is  to  be  feared  it  will  soon  cease  to  be,  as 
their  minister  intends  going  to  the  Western 
World ;"  by  which  was  probably  meant  Ohio. 
The  church  continued  to  exist,  however,  and  it 
was  not  until  1848  that  its  name  disappeared 
from  the  Minutes  of  the  Delaware  Association. 
The  Rev.  A.  S.  Bastian,  Milford,  near  which 
the  Mispillion  Church  is  located,  sends  the  fol- 
lowing particulars  :  The  church  was  incorpo- 
rated in  1796,  when  they  began  to  build  their 
first  meeting-house.  They  met  for  business  on 
Saturday  noon,  when  they  usually  had  a  ser- 
mon. The  first  board  of  Trustees  consisted  of 
Peter  King,  Vincent  Beswicks,  and  Cornelius 
Dewees.  The  latter  was  one  of  the  charter 
members  of  the  church,  and  served  as  Clerk  of 
the  church  until  his  death  in  1837.  The  only 
surviving  members  of  the  church  are  Miss 
Martha  Cathel,  her  sister,  Mrs.  Mary  B.  Clif- 
ton, and  a  Mrs.  Stettzer,  who  removed  to  the 
West  years  ago.  Daniel  Clifton,  Esq.,  elected 
Trustee  in  1839,  is  the  only  Trustee  left.  The 
old  church-building,  with  its  high  pulpit,  re- 
mains, and  is  occupied  by  an  aged  colored  man 


36  THE    EARLY    AND    LATER 

and  his  family  as  a  dwelling.  Being  a  cripple, 
and  living  in  the  old  church-building  surround- 
ed by  graves  and  situated  in  a  lonely  place  by 
the  edge  of  the  forest,  he  is  dreaded,  and  re- 
garded by  those  of  his  neighbors  who  are  su- 
perstitious as  a  wizard. 

Rev.  E.  Dazey  and  Rev.  Joshua  Dewees 
were  Pastors  of  the  church.  The  latter  was 
born  in  the  neighborhood,  May  3,  1742.  He 
was  bred  a  Presbyterian,  called  to  the  ministry 
of  this  church,  October  29,  1785,  and  ordained 
by  Messrs.  Fleeson,  Boggs,  and  Dazey.  "  jNIr. 
Dewees's  transition  from  a  state  of  nature  to  a 
state  of  grace,"  says  Morgan  Edwards  (p.  272), 
"  was  tedious  and  distressing.  His  relation  of 
that  transition  put  me  in  mind  of  what  John 
Bunyan  saith  of  himself  in  his  G-race  Abound- 
ing, etc.  But  it  will  not  be  long  before  he 
makes  another  transit  from  a  state  of  grace  to 
a  state  of  glory,  for  his  lungs  are  ulcerated." 
The  above  Pastors  were  followed  by  Rev. 
Joseph  Flood,  who  served  the  church  for 
many  years;  Rev.  S.  Snead,  1804;  Rev.  Sam- 
uel Broadaway,  from  1807  to  1809 ;  and  Rev. 
Peter  Meredith. 


delaware  baptists.  37 

8.  Gravelly  Branch  Church,  1785. 

The  Gravelly  Branch,  Sussex  County,  was 
the  seventh  church  organized  through  the  min- 
istry of  Messrs.  Baker  and  Hughes.  When 
they  had  baptized  about  twenty-three  converts 
they  constituted  them  into  a  church,  July  30, 
1785.  It  entered  the  Salisbury  Association  the 
same  year.  A  revival  took  place  in  this  church 
in  1788,  whereby  thirty-five  members  were  add- 
ed to  it.  Messrs.  Baker  and  Hughes,  as  was 
their  custom  with  the  churches  they  gathered, 
labored  with  this  people  for  a  while.  Rev. 
Jonathan  Gibbins  then  became  Pastor,  and  in 
turn  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  John  Benson.  The 
Pastor's  salary  was  then  (1791)  forty  pounds, 
or  about  two  hundred  dollars.  They  had  no 
house,  but  worshipped  in  the  dwelling  of  John 
Willis,  ^' where,"  says  Edwards  (p.  267),  ^'a 
movable  pulpit  stands."  They  were  then  pre- 
paring to  build.  They  afterward  built,  but  the 
church  has  ceased  to  exist.  Though  in  early 
times  some  of  these  churches  had  no  meeting- 
house, yet  eventually  each  church  succeeded  in 
building  one  for  its  ow^n  accommodation. 


38  the  eakly  and  later 

9.  The  Bethel,  built  1786;  constituted 
1839;  dissolved  1872. 
The  Welsh  Tract  Churcli  had  out-stations, 
from  which  large  accessions  of  members  were 
received,  "  in  the  town  of  Elk,"  Maryland,  and 
in  New  Castle  County,  Delaware,  which  latter 
they  called  Bethel,  and  where,  in  1786,  they 
built  a  house.  The  history  of  Bethel  is  some- 
what interesting.  David  Morton,  a  Baptist, 
coming  into  New  Castle  County  to  live,  invited 
Mr.  Boggs,  the  Pastor,  to  preach  at  his  house. 
The  audience  so  increased  that  a  private  house 
would  not  hold  them.  "  One  day,"  says  Mr. 
Edwards  (p.  236),  '^as  Mr.  Boggs  was  preach- 
ing out  of  doors,  a  storm  arose  and  dispersed 
the  assembly.  This  induced  two  wealthy  men 
present  (Messrs.  Porter  and  Louden)  to  talk  of 
building  a  meeting-house  in  the  place.  The 
talk  had  at  first  the  air  of  pleasantry,  but  ended 
in  seriousness,  and  a  house  was  built  in  1786, 
measuring  thirty-two  feet  by  twenty-eight,  and 
denominated  Bethel."  It  was  not,  however, 
until  1839  that  it  was  received  as  a  church  of 
sixteen  members  into  the  Delaware  Association. 
We  have  no  definite  record,  but  it  had  prob- 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  39 

ably  just  been  constituted.  After  tliirty-two 
years  its  name  appears  for  the  last  time  in  the 
Minutes  of  the  Delaware  Association  of  1871, 
with  five  members. 

From  the  above  it  seems  tliat  Messrs.  Baker 
and  Hughes  were  instrumental  in  the  formation 
of  the  Sounds,  Broad  Creek,  Gravelly  Branch, 
and  Mispillion  churches,  but  not  directly  in  that 
of  the  Cow  Marsh  and  Duck  Creek.  Never- 
theless, I  have  included  all  under  the  head  of 
their  work,  because  their  coming  and  labors 
led  to  the  revival  among  the  Baptists  that  re- 
sulted in  the  formation  of  all  these  churches 
and  the  raising  up  of  a  numerous  and  zealous 
ministry.  The  origin  of  the  Baptists  in  Wil- 
mington I  shall  consider  under  a  separate  head, 
though  Mr.  Hughes  was  one  of  those  who  la- 
bored successfully  in  that  city. 

The  writer  has  not  deemed  it  necessary  up 
to  this  point  to  make  material  addition  to  what 
Edwards  and  Benedict  have  already  furnished 
concerning  these  churches.  They  seem,  how- 
ever, at  this  point,  destined  to  play  an  import- 
ant part  in  the  religious  history  of  Delaware^ 
and  be  great  in  number  and  influence,  if  they 
only  continue  as  they  have  begun  in  the  Mis- 


40  THE   EARLY    AND    LATER 

sionary  spirit  and  the  aggressive  labors  that  God 
ever  blesses  with  success. 

10.  First  Church,  Wilmington,  1785. 

This  chiircli  was  formed  October  8,  1785, 
Their  brick  house  of  worship,  thirty-five  by 
forty  feet,  was  built  in  the  same  year,  and  still 
stands.  A  graveyard  surrounds  the  church. 
Says  Morgan  Edwards  (pp.  273-275) :  "  There 
were  Baptists  in  Wilmington  long  before  a  Bap- 
tist Church  existed  in  town ;  particularly  Mrs. 
Ann  Bush,  a  member  of  Welsh  Tract  Church  ; 
she  settled  here  in  1748.  In  1764,  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Way,  a  member  of  Brandywine  Church, 
came  to  the  place.  About  1769,  Mr.  John 
Stow,  a  member  of  Philadelphia  Church,  moved 
hither  with  his  family.  The  residing  of  these 
Baptists  in  town  induced  Baptist  ministers  to 
preach  here  in  a  transient  way,  but  they  made 
no  proselytes,  insomuch  that  it  was  supposed 
that  Wilmington  was  no  soil  to  plant  Baptists 
in.  The  first  time  that  a  prospect  opened  to 
the  contrary  was  in  1782,  when  Rev.  Philip 
Hughes  came  to  print  a  volume  of  hymns. 
He  preached  here  and  gained  some  attention." 
In  the  month  of  April  following  (1783),  Mr. 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  41 

Thomas  Ainger  and  family  came  from  Phila- 
delphia "to  Wilmington  Bridge."  He  was  "a 
visible  member"  of  Arch  Street  Presbyterian 
Chnrch,  Philadelphia,  but  his  wife  was  a  pro- 
fessed Baptist.  And  now,  as  Edwards  says, 
"What  Baptists  could  not  do  a  Presbyterian 
did  for  them."  It  was  mainly  through  him 
that  a  Baptist  Church  was  established  in  Wil- 
mington. This  family  invited  Rev.  Messrs. 
Fleeson  and  Boggs  to  preach  at  their  house. 
"They  compb'ed,  and  serious  impressions  were 
made  on  the  minds  of  the  hearers.  Mr.  Fleeson 
judged  it  best  to  hold  meetings  in  the  town, 
which  was  done.  And  in  the  spring  of  1784, 
Mr.  Ainger  and  his  family  moved  hither." 
"His  family,  including  his  apprentices,  was 
then  large,  wherein  he  constantly  held  family 
worship,  which  consisted  in  reading  the  Bible, 
singing  psalms,  and  prayers.  One  Sunday 
evening  he  read  the  twentieth  chapter  of  Rev- 
elation, and  found  a  strong  impulse  to  com- 
ment upon  it,  particularly  on  the  twelfth  verse. 
This  diffused  a  seriousness  through  the  family, 
and  laid  a  foundation  for  a  religious  society  in 
which  good  was  done.  Two  of  his  apprentices 
and  some  others  attribute  their  conversion  to 

4  * 


42  THE    EARLY    AND   LATER 

this  society.  It  quickened  four  more  who  had 
been  converted  previously.  The  converts  were 
baptized  by  Rev.  John  Boggs,  May  25,  1784. 
Their  names  were  —  Thomas  Ainger,  Rachel 
Ainger,  Noah  Cross,  and  Mrs.  Ferris." 

''The  same  year  (1784)  Rev.  P.  Hughes 
came  to  town  to  print  his  book  on  Baptism, 
which  detained  him  near  two  months.  He 
preached  all  the  while,  sometimes  at  Rev.  Mr. 
McKannan's  meeting-house,  which  still  stands 
near  the  old  Baptist  meeting-house,  and  some- 
times at  the  town  school-house,  which  collected 
many  hearers.  By  him  were  baptized  four  per- 
sons who  had  been  awakened  at  said  society — 
viz.  Robert  Smith,  John  Redman,  James  Mc- 
Louchlan,  Henry  Walker."  "  Messrs.  Fleeson 
and  Boggs  continued  to  visit  the  place  alternate- 
ly— viz.  one  each  week.  More  were  baptized 
by  them,  insomuch  that  a  sufficient  nnmber  of 
materials  for  a  church  were  prepared  at  AVil- 
mington."  The  candidates  for  baptism  were 
baptized  in  the  Brandywine.  Some  of  those 
baptized — nine  in  number — had  united  with 
the  Welsh  Tract  Church.  These,  obtaining 
letters  of  dismission  for  the  purpose,  were  con- 
stituted, with  six  others,  into  a  "  gospel  church," 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  43 

October  8,  1785,  and  united  with  the  Philadel- 
phia Association  the  next  year.  The  council 
was  composed  of  the  following :  Messrs.  Flee- 
son  and  Boggs,  Abel  Griffiths,  and  Eliphaz 
Dazey.  The  constituent  members,  sixteen  in 
number,  were  as  follows :  Thomas  Ainger, 
James  McLaughlin,  Thomas  Williams,  Henry 
Walker,  Joseph  Tomlinson,  John  Redman, 
Robert  Smith,  John  McKim,  Curtis  Gilbert, 
Sarah  Stow,  Elizabeth  Hopkins,  Mary  Mattson, 
and  four  others  who,  it  seems,  were  Baptists 
before  this  —  John  Stow,  Elizabeth  Way, 
Thomas  Stow,,  and  Abigail  Ainger.  Four 
of  the  constituent  members  became  ministers 
— viz.  Thomas  Ainger,  James  McLaughlin, 
Henry  Walker,  and  Curtis  Gilbert.  In  five 
years  this  church  increased  to  fifty-four  mem- 
bers. 

The  publication  of  Rev.  P.  Hughes's  book 
on  Baptism  in  Wilmington,  and  the  earnest 
preaching  of  believer's  baptism  by  him  and 
others,  which  led  to  the  formation  of  the  Bap- 
tist Church,  aroused  great  opposition.  The 
pulpits  of  two  churches  thundered  against  the 
Baptists  and  their  principles,  but  there  was 
one  man,   Father   McKannan,   Pastor   of  the 


44  THE   EAELY    AND   LATER 

First  Presbyterian  Church,  who  acted  wisely ; 
he  not  only  invited  Mr.  Hnglies  to  preach  for 
him,  but  this  "  veteran  divine  taught  his  au- 
dience to  love  their  neighbors  as  themselves" 
(Edwards,  278).  A  few  months  ago  (1879) 
the  writer  was  present  at  the  dedication  of  the 
new  lecture-room  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Wilmington.  The  Pastor,  Rev.  B. 
F.  Duval,  pointed  to  some  beautiful  Corinthian 
columns  that  sustained  the  roof,  remarking  that 
they  had  adorned  the  old  meeting-house,  now 
used  by  the  Historical  Society  of  Delaware, 
when  "  Father  McKannan  "  preached  in  it  over 
one  hundred  years  ago.  When  the  writer's 
turn  came  to  speak  he  did  not  fail  to  refer  to 
the  noble  Christian  charity  of  the  "veteran 
divine  "  displayed  upon  the  occasion  mentioned. 
Rev.  Thomas  Fleeson,  Pastor  of  London 
Tract  Church,  was  called  for  six  months,  and 
then  for  six  months  more,  but  regarding  it 
as  an  unlimited  call,  removed  with  his  fam- 
ily to  Wilmington.  He  had  been  instru- 
mental in  gathering  the  church  and  build- 
ing their  house.  He  and  Mr.  Boggs  not  only 
preached  for  the  church,  but  collected  funds  for 
tlie  church -building.     The  first  stone  was  laid 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  45 

by  Mr.  Fleeson,  who  made  '^  an  excellent  pray- 
er u}X)n  the  occasion."  "He  saved  a  great 
part  of  his  time  to  officiate  to  them  (in  connec- 
tion with  the  church  of  which  he  was  Pastor) 
between  the  constitution  in  1785  and  1788, 
when  one  of  their  own  members  rose  up  to  take 
pastoral  charge  of  them — viz.  Rev.  Thomas 
Ainger"  (Morgan  Edwards,  273-275). 

There  are  some  particulars  concerning  the 
founder  and  Pastor  of  this  church  worth  re- 
lating. Thomas  Ainger  was  born  in  Philadel- 
phia, May  12,  1755,  bred  a  Presbyterian,  bap- 
tized on  profession  of  his  faith  and  repentance, 
May  25,  1784,  called  to  the  ministry  Aj)ril  25, 
1786,  licensed  May  19,  1787,  and  ordained  l)y 
Rev.  Messrs.  Samuel  Jones,  David  Jones,  and 
Eliphaz  Dazey,  October  28,  1788,  when  he  be- 
came Pastor  of  the  church,  in  which  office  he 
continued  until  his  death  in  1797.  He  was 
buried  in  the  churchyard,  where  his  tomb  re- 
mains. He  had  serious  impressions  made  on 
his  mind  in  early  life,  which  wore  off,  but  re- 
turned in  manhood  with  more  vigor  and  per- 
manency. "  He  followed  them  to  full  commu- 
nion in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  but  was  all 
the  while  a  stranger  to  the  liberty  of  the  chil- 


46  THE    EARLY   AND    LATER 

dren  of  God.'^  This  liberty  he  obtained  about 
the  spring  of  1780  from  reading  the  eighth 
chapter  of  Romans,  and  particularly  the  first 
verse:  "There  is,  therefore,  now  no  condem- 
nation to  them  which  are  in  Christ.'^  This  he 
read  with  new  eyes.  His  fears  vanished,  and 
confidence  came  in  their  place.  He  had  fre- 
quent misgivings  of  heart  in  reference  to  the 
validity  of  infant  baptism  while  a  Presbyterian, 
which  he  strove  to  suppress,  but  happening  to 
be  on  the  banks  of  the  Schuylkill  when  Bap- 
tism was  administered,  he  saw  it  to  be  so  con- 
formable to  gospel  history  that  he  resolved  to 
go  and  do  likewise.  He  administered  the  or- 
dinance himself  afterward  in  the  same  river. 
He  was  one  of  the  council  that  recognized 
the  Roxborough  Church,  and  was  the  first 
Baptist  minister  (according  to  Rev.  D. 
Spencer)  to  preach  at  Chestnut  Hill,  Phila- 
delphia. 

"  For  a  few  years  after  Mr.  Ainger's  death 
the  church  was  supplied  by  the  occasional  la- 
bors of  Mr.  John  Boggs,  Sr.,  Gideon  Farrell, 
John  Ellis,  and  Joseph  Flood.  Mr.  Flood 
did,  indeed,  exercise  the  pastoral  care  of  it  for 
a  short  time,  when  he  was  excluded  for  im- 


DAX[EL  DODGE,  D.  D. 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  47 

moral  conduct — ^  for  holding  and  preachinpc 
the  doctrine  of  polygamy '  (Minutes  Delaware 
Association,  1803)  —  and  afterward  went  to 
Norfolk,  Virginia,  and  was  the  cause  of  much 
evil  and  confusion.  But  during  the  ministry 
of  Mr.  Flood,  notwithstanding  the  blemishes 
of  his  character,  and  before  they  were  known, 
there  was  a  very  considerable  revival,  and 
many  were  added  to  the  church  "  (Benedict's 
Abridged  Baptist  History,  p.  304).  Thomas 
Ainger  was  Pastor  till  1797.  Five  years  later, 
Rev.  Daniel  Dodge  came,  whose  long  and  suc- 
cessful pastorate  of  seventeen  years  terminated 
in  his  resignation  in  1819.  He  baptized  two 
hundred  and  fifty-nine  converts  while  here. 
His  influence  was  great  for  good  while  in  Del- 
aware, and  he  is  held  in  loving  remembrance 
by  the  people  who  knew  him.  There  are  but 
few  such  persons  living,  linking  the  present 
generation  with  the  past ;  among  these  few  is 
the  venerable  William  Almond,  father  of  the 
present  Mayor  of  Wilmington.  They  love  to 
recall  the  eloquence  and  zeal  of  this  man  of 
God.  Often  have  they  seen  him  come  down 
from  his  high  pulpit  after  preaching,  singing 
an  inspiring  hymn  and  urging  sinners  to  come 


48  THE    EARLY    AXD    LATER 

to  Christ.  Mr.  Dodge  was  born  at  Annapolis 
Royal,  Xova  Scotia,  in  1775,  but  his  father 
was  a  native  of  Ipswich,  Massachusetts.  Most 
of  his  time  was  spent  in  the  United  States. 
He  professed  conversion  at  the  age  of  eighteen, 
and  united  with  the  church  in  Woodstock, 
Vermont,  then  under  the  charge  of  Elder 
Elisha  Ransom.  In  1797,  he  went  to  Balti- 
more, and  preached  in  various  places  in  Mary- 
land and  Virginia  before  he  settled  in  Wil- 
mington. He  w^as  ordained  in  1801  in  Anne 
Arundel  County,  Maryland.  From  Wilming- 
ton he  went  to  Piscataway,  New  Jersey,  where 
he  was  Pastor  for  thirteen  years.  He  was  Pas- 
tor next  at  Newark,  New  Jersey,  for  six  years, 
and  then  of  the  Second  Church,  Philadelphia, 
from  1838  to  1850,  following  the  Rev.  T.  J. 
Kitts  in  the  pastorate  of  that  church,  with 
which  he  remained  until  his  death.  In  1839, 
he  was  elected  Moderator  of  the  Philadelphia 
Association.  In  1812,  while  he  was  Pastor  of 
the  Wilmington  Church,  that  church  sought  to 
withdraw  from  the  Delaware  Association,  but 
was  prevailed  upon  by  the  earnest  solicitation 
of  the  Association  to  remain. 

Rev.   Samuel   R.   Green   w^as   Pastor   from 


DELAWAEE   BAPTISTS.  49 

1819*  to  1824*.  He  was  excluded  from  the 
church  for  dishonesty.  Rev.  David  Lewis 
followed  in  1824,  and  was  Pastor  to  1826.* 
Rev.  John  D.  Strumpfer  appears  from  the 
Minutes  of  the  Association  to  have  been  Pastor 
in  1826*  and  1827,*  but  some  deny  it.  He 
was  excluded.  Rev.  John  P.  Peck  worth  served 
the  churcli  from  1827*  to  1838*  with  but  a 
short  intermission  while  he  was  in  Alexandria. 
He  was  born  in  England  in  1770,  and  came  to 
Philadelphia  at  the  age  of  thirteen.  At  seven- 
teen he  was  baptized  in  Wilmington,  and  called 
to  the  ministry  in  the  Philadelphia  Church  dur- 
ing the  administration  of  Rev.  Thomas  Ustick. 
He  was  a  constituent  member  of  the  Third 
Church,  Philadelphia,  and  its  first  Pastor,  ser- 
ving from  September,  1809,  to  December  20, 
1822.  He  refused  a  salary  of  two  hundred 
dollars  from  another  church,  preferring  to  serve 
the  Third  Church  without  pay,  which  he  did 
three  years,  working  at  his  trade,  which  was 
shoemaking,  during  the  week,  and  preaching 
upon  the  Lord's  Day.  During  his  pastorate 
in  Philadelphia  he  baptized  two  hundred  and 

*  Bates  taken  from  the  Minutes  of  the  Delaware  As- 
sociation. 

6  D 


50  THE    EARLY   AND    LATER 

thirty-seven  and  received  by  letter  forty-six, 
and  a  meeting-house  for  the  church  was  also 
erected.  It  is  worthy  of  special  note  that  dur- 
ing his  pastorate  the  Sunday-school  of  the 
church  took  its  rise.  He  was  also  Moderator 
of  the  Philadelphia  Association.  Those  who 
followed  Mr.  Peckworth  in  the  pastorate,  as  far 
as  can  be  learned,  are  given  here  in  the  order 
of  their  service :  John  Miller,  Alfred  Earle, 
Joseph  Smart,  Wilson  Housel,  William  Mat- 
thews, Samuel  Earle,  and  Elder  E.  Ritten- 
house,  who  came  in  1858.  Between  the  years 
1846  and  1858  the  AVilmington  Church  ap- 
pears but  seldom  on  the  Minutes  of  the  Del- 
aware Association  as  sending  either  letter  or 
messengers.  For  a  part  of  this  time  the  church 
was  not  in  fellowship  with  the  Association, 
and  the  name  was  dropped.  Upon  its  reap- 
pearance it  is  put  at  the  foot  of  the  list.  In 
1862,  the  First  Church  applied  to  the  Phila- 
delphia Association  for  admission  into  that 
body,  and  being  found  to  be  in  accord  in  faith 
and  order  with  the  Association  by  a  Committee 
of  which  Rev.  J.  H.  Kennard,  D.  D.,  was 
Chairman,  was  received  and  restored  to  its  for- 
mer place  upon  the  roll.     It  remained  until 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  61 

1867,  when  the  Philadelphia  Association  met 
in  Wilmington  with  the  Second  Church.  Then 
a  Committee  was  appointed  to  consider  the  re- 
lation of  the  First  Church  to  the  Association. 
The  Committee,  Thomas  Winter,  D.  D.,  Rev. 
W.  H.  H.  Marsh,  and  Rev.  G.  W.  Folwell,  re- 
ported :  That  the  male  members  of  the  church 
asserted  that  the  application  made  in  the  name 
of  the  church  for  membership  in  the  Philadel- 
phia Association  was  made  without  sanction  of 
the  church  proper,  and  that  they  were  then, 
and  continued  to  be,  a  member  of  another  As- 
sociation, from  which  they  had  no  wish  to  be 
separated.  The  church  was  therefore  dropped 
from  the  Minutes.  In  1870,  however,  the 
church  applied  again,  and  was  admitted  into 
the  Philadelphia  Association.  It  is  now,  how- 
ever, again  a  member  of  the  Delaware  Asso- 
ciation. 

11.  Distinguished  Men. 
There  were  many  ministers  of  note  belong- 
ing to  this  period,  who  labored  in  the  State  or 
went  thence  to  other  fields  of  usefulness.  The 
Thomases,  Joneses,  Griffiths,  Davises,  Suttons, 
Morgans,  and  Gibbinses  were  all  known  lead- 


52  THE    EARLY   AND   LATER 

ers  in  the  Baptist  denomination  of  their  day. 
Some  few  of  these  princes  in  Israel,  besides 
those  already  mentioned  in  these  pages,  are 
worthy  of  special  consideration. 

Rev.  Jenkin  Jones,  though  born  in  Wales 
in  1690,  was  called  to  the  ministry  in  1724  at 
Welsh  Tract.  He  arrived  in  this  country  about 
1710,  and  went  to  Philadelphia  in  1725.  He 
first  had  pastoral  care  of  Lower  Dublin  and 
First  Philadelphia  churches  jointly ;  but  May 
15,  1746,  upon  the  reconstructionof  the  church 
in  Philadelphia,  he  became  Pastor  of  the  latter 
only.  He  was  the  first  Pastor  that  the  First 
Church  had  wholly  to  itself,  without  dividing 
his  time  with  others.  He  did  real  service  to 
this  church  and  to  the  interests  of  the  Baptist 
denomination.  He  secured  to  the  church  their 
valuable  lot  and  house,  and  was  the  moving 
cause  of  altering  the  direction  of  licenses,  so  as 
to  enable  dissenting  ministers  to  perform  mar- 
riage by  them.  "  He  built  a  parsonage-house, 
partly  at  his  own  charge.  He  gave  a  hand- 
some legacy  toward  purchasing  a  silver  cup  for 
the  Lord's  Table  w4iich  is  worth  upward  of 
thirty  pounds.  His  name  is  engraved  upon 
it."     He  was  Moderator  of  the  Philadelphia 


KEY.  ABEL  MORGAN,  A.  M. 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  63 

Association  in  1756,  and  died  in  Philadelphia, 
July  16,  1760. 

Abel  Morgan,  Jr.,  A.  M.,  was  born  at  Welsh 
Tract,  April  18,  1713,  and  educated  near  by, 
at  Pencader  Academy,  kept  by  Rev.  Thomas 
Evans.  He  was  ordained  at  Welsh  Tract  in 
1734,  and  was  called  to  the  Middletown  Church, 
New  Jersey,  which  he  served  as  Pastor  till  his 
death  in  the  seventy- third  year  of  his  age.  In 
1772  he  was  Moderator  of  the  Philadelphia 
Association,  the  celebrated  Dr.  James  Manning 
being  Clerk  at  the  same  time.  Previously,  Mr. 
Morgan  served  as  Clerk.  It  was  in  1774,  upon 
his  suggestion,  that  the  Circular  Letter  was 
adopted  by  the  Philadelphia  Association  for  the 
first  time.  He  was  among  the  most  noted  Bap- 
tist ministers  of  his  day.  Dr.  Samuel  Jones 
calls  him  "  the  great,  the  incomparable  Abel 
Morgan  '^  (Benedict,  p.  582).  The  same  writer 
(p.  209)  says :  He  ^^  is  the  oldest  writer  I  can 
find  among  the  American  Baptists  in  defence 
of  their  sentiments.  Between  this  learned  writer 
and  Rev.  Samuel  Finley,  a  Presbyterian  min- 
ister, then  of  Nottingham,  Pennsylvania,  a  dis- 
pute appears  to  have  arisen,  which  was  carried 
on  with  much  spirit  on  both  sides  for  a  nura- 

5  * 


54  THE   EARLY   AND   LATER 

ber  of  years."  "  Mr.  Finley  was  afterward 
President  of  Princeton  College,  New  Jersey." 
"  Mr.  Morgan  had  the  advantage,"  says  Bene- 
dict in  a  note,  "as  a  learned  and  logical  de- 
bater.^' One  of  his  works  produced  on  this 
occasion — comprising  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
four  pages — was  printed  in  Philadelphia  by  the 
famous  Benjamin  Franklin  in  1747,  and  though 
a  small  volume  is  valued  now  at  fifteen  dollars 
per  copy.  Previous  to  this  Mr.  Morgan  had 
another  controversy  at  Kingswood  with  Rev. 
Samuel  Barker,  also  a  Presbyterian  minister. 

Pev.  John  Davis,  son  of  David  Davis,  Pas- 
tor of  Welsh  Tract,  became  Pastor  of  the  Sec- 
ond Church,  Boston,  Massachusetts.  He  was 
a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  "  a  man  of  fine  talents  and  of  a  finished 
education ;"  also  "  a  truly  pious  man."  He 
went  to  the  church  at  Boston  on  trial  in  the 
spring  of  1770,  and  in  September  following 
was  ordained  to  the  pastoral  office.  In  less 
than  two  years  he  was  compelled  to  resign  on 
account  of  declining  health,  and  shortly  after 
died. 

The  Jones  family  have  been  distinguished  in 
the  annals  of  the  Delaware  Baptists.     The  most 


im.Jp//i2^' 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  55 

prominent  among  them  Tvas  Rev.  David  Jones, 
A.  ^I.  He  was  the  son  of  Morgan  and  Eleanor 
(Evans)  Jones,  and  born  in  AVhite  Clay  Hun- 
dred, New  Castle  County,  Delaware,  May  12, 
1736.  He  removed  with  his  parents  to  Iron- 
hill  in  1  750,  where  he  was  brought  to  a  saving 
knowledcre  of  Christ  in  1758,  at  the  a2:e  of 
twenty-two,  and  baptized  May  6,  1758,  by  Rev. 
David  Davis,  Pastor  of  the  Welsh  Tract  Church. 
He  studied  under  Rev.  Isaac  Eaton,  A.  M.,  at 
Hopewell,  Xew  Jersey,  remaining  three  years, 
where  he  "  learned  Latin  and  Greek.''  In  1 761, 
he  became  a  licentiate  of  the  Welsh  Tract 
Church,  and  studied  divinity  at  Middletown, 
Xew  Jersey,  under  his  kinsman,  Rev.  Abel 
Morgan,  A.  M.  He  was  Pastor  at  Freehold, 
Xew  Jersey,  and  at  Southampton  and  Great 
Valley,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  the  father  of 
the  late  Rev.  Horatio  Gutes  Jones,  D.  D.,  and 
grandfather  of  Hon.  H.  G.  Jones  of  Philadel- 
phia.'^ Rev.  David  Spencer,  in  his  Early  Bap- 
tists of  Philadelphia,  says  of  him:  ^^Rev.  John 
Gano,  in  his  letter  to  the  First  Baptist  Church, 
as  given  in  this  chapter,  speaks  of  popular  men 
of  character  in  the  ministry  that  left  the  city, 
*Sprague's  Annah,  vol.  vi.  p.  So. 


56  THE   EARLY   AND   LATER 

and  some  in  the  State,  to  enter  the  chaplaincy 
of  the  country.  One  of  these  men  certainly 
merits  reference  here — not  tliat  he  was  a  Phila- 
delph^  Baptist,  but  as  the  ancestor  of  an  hon- 
ored family  of  our  denomination  in  this  city. 
Rev.  David  Jones  is  the  gentleman  spoken  of. 
.  .  .  Previous  to  the  issuing  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence  he  took  high  ground  in  favor 
of  cutting  loose  from  Great  Britain.  In  1776, 
he  became  a  chaplain  in  the  army,  and  remained 
through  all  the  war,  up  to  the  surrender  at 
Yorktown,  performing  very  important  service 
for  his  country.  He  was  a  man  of  warm  friend- 
ship, ardent  patriotism,  and  sincere  piety,  and 
after  much  faithful  work  for  his  Lord  and 
Master  he  died  February  5,  1824,  in  the  eighty- 
fourth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  buried  in  the 
graveyard  of  the  Great  Valley  Baptist  Church, 
near  the  very  spot  where,  for  many  years  as  a 
Pastor,  he  preached  the  gospel  of  the  blessed 
God ''(pp.  128,  129). 

Dr.  AYilliam  Cathcart,  in  his  Ceiitennial 
Offering  J  says :  "  The  Rev.  David  Jones  was 
an  original  thinker,  and  was  fearless  in  express- 
ing his  sentiments.  He  was  an  educated  man, 
but  he  possessed  what  schools  never  gave — a 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  57 

powerful  intellect.  As  a  preacher  he  always 
secured  the  undivided  attention  of  his  hearers, 
and  never  failed  to  instruct  and  cheer  them. 
When  the  Revolutionary  war  began  Mr.  Jones 
lived  in  a  section  of  New  Jersey  where  Tories 
made  it  neither  agreeable  nor  safe  for  a  patriot 
to  reside,  especially  if,  like  Mr.  Jones,  he  was 
an  orator  capable  of  moving  men  by  his  elo- 
quence, and  a  brave  man  to  whom  fear  was  an 
unexplored  mystery.  So  Mr.  Jones,  believing 
that  he  could  serve  his  country  better  than  by 
martyrdom  from  such  hands,  removed  to  Penn- 
sylvania. In  1775,  on  a  public  fast,  he  preach- 
ed to  the  regiment  of  Col.  Dewees  a  sermon 
overflowing  with  patriotism  and  with  unshaken 
confidence  in  God.  The  discourse  was  given 
to  the  printer  and  widely  circulated  over  the 
colonies,  and  it  exerted  an  extensive  influence 
in  favor  of  the  good  cause.  In  1776,  Mr. 
Jones  became  chaplain  of  a  Pennsylvania  regi- 
ment, and  entered  upon  duties  for  which  he 
was  better  qualified  than  almost  any  other  man 
among  the  patriotic  ministers  of  America.  He 
was  never  away  from  scenes  of  danger,  nor  from 
the  rude  couch  of  the  sick  or  the  wounded  sol- 
dier when  words  of  comfort  were  needed.     He 


58  THE    EARLY   AND    LATER 

followed  Gates  through  his  campaigns,  and 
served  as  a  brigade  chaplain  under  Wayne. 
He  was  in  the  battle  of  Brandywine,  the 
slaughter  of  Paoli — where  he  escaped  only  by 
the  special  care  of  Providence — and  in  all  the 
deadly  conflicts  in  w^hich  his  brigade  was  en- 
gaged until  the  surrender  at  Yorktown.  Gen. 
Howe,  learning  that  he  was  a  pillar  to  the 
Revolution  in  and  out  of  the  army,  offered  a 
reward  for  his  capture,  and  a  plot  was  unsuc- 
cessfully laid  to  secure  his  person.  Full  of 
wit,  eloquence,  patriotism,  and  fearless  courage, 
he  was  a  model  chaplain  and  a  tower  of  strength 
to  the  cause  of  freedom.  He  was  the  grand- 
father of  our  esteemed  brother,  the  Hon.  Ho- 
ratio Gates  Jones  of  Pennsylvania"  (pp.  38- 
40). 

Consj^icuous  among  the  Baptist  ministers 
who  have  made  Delaware  their  home  is  Rev. 
Morgan  Edwards,  A.  M.,  the  w^ell-known  Bap- 
tist historian.  Says  Benedict :  '^  He  was  em- 
phatically a  pioneer  iii  the  history  of  the  Bap- 
tists." "  For  talents,  industry,  and  usefulness," 
says  the  same  writer, '4ie  was  pre-eminent  in 
his  day."  He  was  a  vigorous  supporter  of 
every   Baptist   enterprise   of  his   day,  and    is 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  59 

justly  regarded  as  the  founder  of  Rhode  Island 
College,  now  known  as  Brown  University.  He 
was  born  in  Wales,  May  9,  1722,  and  educated 
at  the  grammar-school  at  home  and  at  Bristol 
Seminary.  He  entered  the  ministry  at  the  age 
of  sixteen.  He  was  recommended  to  the  First 
Church,  Philadelphia,  as  Pastor,  by  the  famous 
Dr.  Gill  of  London  and  others,  and  became 
Pastor  of  that  church  in  1761.  He  resigned 
and  moved  to  Newark,  Delaware,  in  1772, 
where  he  had  purchased  a  farm.  He  con- 
tinued to  reside  in  the  State  until  his  death,  at 
Pencader,  New  Castle  County,  on  the  28th  of 
January,  1795,  in  the  seventy-third  year  of  his 
age.  He  was  buried,  according  to  his  request,  in 
the  aisle  of  the  meeting-house  in  Philadelphia. 
During  his  twenty-three  years'  residence  in 
Delaware  he  labored  in  the  interests  of  Christ 
and  of  the  denomination  within  and  without 
the  State.  Up  to  the  Revolution  he  continued 
preaching  the  word  of  life  and  salvation  in  a 
number  of  vacant  churches.  After  the  war  he 
occasionally  read  lectures  in  divinity  in  Phil- 
adelphia and  other  parts  of  Pennsylvania,  also 
in  New  Jersey,  Delaware,  and  New  England. 
His  Materials  towards  a  History  of  the  Baptists 


60  THE    EARLY    AND   LATER 

of  Pennsylvania  were  published  in  1792,  while 
he  was  in  Delaware,  and  most  of  his  materials 
toward  the  history  of  Baptists  in  other  States 
were  collected  and  written  about  the  same  time. 
For  years  he  printed  at  his  own  expense  annual 
tables  showing  the  condition  of  the  churches  of 
the  Philadelphia  Association,  and  finally  in- 
duced the  Association  to  print  its  Minutes. 
He  was  at  different  times  both  Clerk  and 
Moderator  of  that  body.  In  1762,  Morgan 
Edwards  was  Moderator,  and  Abel  ]\Iorgan 
Clerk.  "They  met  at  the  Lutheran  Church, 
in  Fifth  Street  between  Arch  Street  and  E-ace 
Street,  where  the  sound  of  the  organ  was  heard 
in  the  Baptist  worship."  (See  Minutes,  1762.) 
He  was  a  man  of  extended  travel  and  of  plea- 
sing manners.  His  Greek  Testament,  of  which 
he  was  complete  master,  was  his  constant  com- 
panion, while  he  loved  his  Hebrew  Bible  next. 
He  called  them  the  minister's  two  eyes.  He 
was  brought  up  an  Episcopalian,  and  became 
a  Baptist  upon  conviction.  The  large  print- 
hand  in  which  his  Ilanuscript  Materials  towards 
a  Baptist  History  is  written  can  never  be  for- 
gotten by  those  who  have  seen  it.* 

*  Mr.  Edwards  was  the  only  Baptist  minister  of  that 


JOSKPH  H.  KKXNARI),   D.  D. 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  61 

Rev.  Thomas  J.  Kitts  was  ordained  at  the 
Wilmington  Chiircli  in  1818,  during  the  pas- 
torate of  Rev.  Daniel  Dodge.  He  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania,  September  13,  1789.  In  1818, 
he  was  Clerk  of  the  Delaware  Association.  He 
was  Pastor  at  the  Great  Valley  in  1822,  and 
became  Pastor  in  1823  of  the  Second  Church, 
Philadelphia,  which  church  he  served  until  his 
death,  January,  1838.  He  preached  the  ser- 
mon before  the  Philadelphia  Association  in 
1826,  and, was  Clerk  in  1827,  and  Moderator 
in  1828.  In  character  and  preaching  ability 
he  was  second  to  none. 

Rev.  Joseph  II.  Kennard,  D.  D.,  so  well 
known  to  this  generation,  was  converted  under 
the  ministry  of  Mr.  Dodge,  and  baptized  by 
him,  July  3,  1814.  He  was  also  licensed  to 
preach  by  the  Wilmington  Church,  September, 
1818.  He  was  appointed,  with  others,  by  the 
Delaware  Association  in  June,  1819,  to  repre- 
sent them  in  the  next  Philadelphia  Association, 
which  was  j^robably  his  first  appearance  as  a 
delegate  in  the  body  of  which  he  was  so  many 
years  a  leader.  His  first  labors  were  as  a  mis- 
day,  so  far  as  I  can  learn,  who  sympathized  with  the 
Loyalists. 
6 


62  THE   EARLY    AND    LATER 

sionary  In  this  peninsula,  ^'  everywhere  exciting 
attention  by  his  youthfuhiess  and  glowing  zeal." 
Mr.  Kennard  w^as  born  near  Haddonfield,  New 
Jersey,  April  24,  1798,  and  his  parents  were 
Friends.  He  came  to  Wilmington  when  he 
was  about  fifteen  years  of  age.  He  was  called 
from  his  work  in  Delaware  to  the  pastorate  of 
the  Baptist  Church  at  Burlington,  New  Jersey, 
where  he  was  ordained  in  July,  1820.  He 
went  in  1822  to  the  Second  Church,  Hopewell, 
New  Jersey,  and  in  October,  1822,  to  the 
Blockley  Church,  now  in  Philadelphia.  While 
there  he  was  largely  instrumental  in  the  for- 
mation of  what  is  now  the  Pennsylvania  Gen- 
eral Association,  of  which  he  became  the  Mis- 
sionary in  1830.  In  January,  1832,  he  ac- 
cepted a  call  to  become  the  Pastor  of  the  New 
Market  Street  Church  (now  the  Fourth),  Phil- 
adelphia. His  labors  there  were  most  success- 
ful. The  house  was  crowded,  souls  were  con- 
verted, and  the  church  grew  in  numbers. 
Needing  more  room,  nearly  one  hundred  and 
seventy  members  went  out  and  formed  the 
Tenth  Church,  January  1,  1838,  with  Mr. 
Kennard  as  Pastor,  which  office  he  filled  for 
the  remainder  of  his  life.     This  church  reach- 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  63 

ed  a  membership  of  eleven  hundred  during  liis 
pastorate,  and  was  the  mother  of  four  or  five 
vigorous  churches.  For  a  period  of  thirty-four 
years  he  was  a  settled  Pastor  in  Philadelphia, 
and  during  his  long  life  he  baptized  over  two 
thousand  persons.  He  was  a  man  of  great  in- 
fluence, not  only  in  his  own  church  and  de- 
nomination, but  other  denominations,  and  the 
world  acknowledged  the  power  of  his  life  for 
Christ.  He  died  in  the  harness,  Lord's  Day 
evening,  June  24,  1866,  and  was  succeeded, 
according  to  the  wish  of  his  heart,  by  his  son. 
Rev.  J.  Spencer  Kennard,  D.  D. 

Our  brief  mention  of  men  of  note  in  this 
connection  would  not  be  complete  if  the  name 
of  Captain  Calvin  Tubbs  were  omitted.  It  is 
impossible  to  find  out  much  about  him,  but 
enough  is  known  to  make  his  name  conspicu- 
ous in  Baptist  history.  He  was  a  native  of 
New  England,  a  sea-captain  by  occupation,  and 
lived  for  many  years  when  ashore  in  Newark, 
Delaware,  or  on  his  farm  at  Aikenville  in  the 
same  State.  Pie  married  Mary,  the  daughter 
of  Pev.  Gideon  Farrell,  who  was  Pastor  of 
Welsh  Tract  Church  from  1802  to  1820.  Mr. 
William  M.  Campbell,  Clerk  of  that  church. 


64  THE   EARLY   AND    LATER 

sends  rae  the  following,  taken  from  the  Min- 
utes:  "May  27,  1815,  yearly  meeting.  The 
Association  beino-  held  on  the  first  Sabbath  in 
June,  which  is  the  day  of  our  monthly  meeting, 
the  church  was  now  called  together  to  attend  to 
business.  1st.  Captain  Calvin  Tubbs  came  for- 
ward and  offered  his  experience  with  a  view  to 
be  baptized  and  join  the  church.  He  was  ac- 
cordingly received  for  baptism,  to  be  performed 
on  the  morrow  morning."  "  He  was  present 
to  appointment,  and  was  baptized  and  received 
a  member  at  Bethel  meeting  on  the  second  Sab- 
bath in  June  at  tlije  quarterly  meeting."  The 
latter  words  are  probably  those  of  Mr.  Camp- 
bell, condensed  from  the  record.  An  old  mem- 
ber of  the  "Welsh  Tract,  now  living,  informs 
me  that  he  was  present  and  saw  Captain  Tubbs 
baptized.  Being  "  yearly  meeting,"  it  was  per- 
formed in  the  presence  of  a  large  concourse  of 
people.  Bethel  was  a  mission  of  Welsh  Tract. 
Captain  Tubbs  in  1830  united  with  the  Fifth 
Baptist  Church,  as  Rev.  B.  D.  Thomas,  Pastor, 
tells  me.  It  was  then  the  Sansom  Street  Church, 
Philadelphia.  He  was  a  member  there  for  only 
a  short  time.  He  and  his  wife  and  children 
are  buried  in  the  graveyard  of  the  Welsh  Tract 


J.  G.  OXCKEX,  D.  D. 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  65 

Church,  in  the  rear  of  the  house.  He  was  a 
godly  man,  and  is  well  remembered  by  many 
now  living  in  Philadelphia,  as  well  as  in  Del- 
aware. Says  Captain  Turley :  "  He  flew  the 
Bethel  flag  on  Sunday." 

It  is,  however,  chiefly  of  his  connection  with 
the  conversion  to  Baptist  views  of  the  great 
German  apostle.  Rev.  John  G.  Oncken,  D.  D., 
that  I  wish  to  speak.  This  matter  was  first 
brought  to  the  attention  of  the  writer  by  Miss 
Anne  Semple  of  Wilmington,  Delaware,  who 
knew  him  well  and  played  with  his  children. 
Miss  Semple  says  :  ^^  Captain  Tubbs  com- 
manded a  vessel  sailing  between  Philadelphia 
and  Hamburg,  belonging  to  the  late  John 
Welsh,  Esq.,  of  Philadelphia,  whose  wife  was 
a  member  of  Sansom  Street  Baptist  Church, 
and  who  was  the  father  of  the  ex-Minister  to 
England.  One  winter  his  vessel  was  providen- 
tially ice-bound  at  Hamburg,  and  he  boarded 
in  the  city.  In  the  same  house  was  a  young 
man,  a  colporteur  from  London,  named  J.  G. 
Oncken,  a  Pedobaptist.  They  became  intimate, 
and  among  other  religious  subjects  discussed 
interchanged  their  views  on  the  ordinance  of 
Baptism.  Mr.  Oncken,  being  convinced  that 
6*  E 


66  THE    EARLY   AND    LATER 

the  captain  had  the  Bible  on  his  side,  and  con- 
sequently that  he  was  not  baptized,  requested 
that  on  his  return  home  he  would  make  his 
case  known  to  some  Baptist  minister  going  to 
Europe,  and  ask  him  to  visit  Hamburg  and 
baptize  him/' 

In  Lehmann's  History  of  the  Baptist  Churches 
in  Germany^  etc.,  translated  by  G.  Anderson, 
D.  D.  (p.  5),  we  read :  '^  Finally,  o/i^er  many 
years,  Dr.  Barnas  Sears  of  America,  who  now 
occupies  a  high  position  in  the  United  States, 
came  to  Hamburg,  entered  into  intimate  rela- 
tions with  Oncken,  and  was  thus  prepared  to 
administer  baptism  to  him  and  to  the  few  be- 
lievers who  found  themselves  in  fellowship 
with  Oncken,  and  shared  his  convictions  in  re- 
spect to  the  ordinances.  It  was  on  the  22d  of 
April,  1834,  that  the  above-mentioned  solemn 
baptism  was  administered  to  him  and  to  six 
others,  and  thus  was  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
first  Baptist  Church  in  Hamburg  and  in  Ger- 
many. The  event  caused  a  great  sensation 
wherever  Oncken's  name  was  known.  On  ac- 
count of  his  meetings  and  preaching  he  had 
already  suffered  persecution,  which  now  rose  to 
an  unusual  height." 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  67 

The  following  letters  explain  themselves  : 

From  the  Hon.  John  Welsh,  ex- Minister  of  the   United 

States  to  England. 
My  Dear  Sir  : 

I  am  sorry  that  I  am  unable  to  give  you  the  infor- 
mation you  wish  to  get  in  regard  to  the  late  Captain 
Tubbs.  We  have  no  knowledge  of  his  son  Calvin,  but 
my  brother  says  he  had  a  son  called  after  him,  Sam- 
uel Welsh  Tubbs,  who  some  years  ago  was  in  New 
York,  but  he  knows  nothing  of  his  present  residence, 
not  having  heard  of  him  for  several  years. 
Very  respectfully, 

JoHi^  Welsh. 

Philadelphia,  May  10,  1880. 
Rev.  R.  B.  Cook. 

It  was  in  hopes  of  finding  something  of  the 
nativity  of  Captain  Tubbs  from  the  registers 
of  the  Welsh  firm  that  the  letter  to  which  the 
above  is  the  reply  was  written. 

From  Rev.  P.  W.  Bichel,  D.  D. 

Hamburg,  den  6  April,  1880. 
Rev.  Rich.  B.  Cook,  Wilmington,  Del. 
Dear  Brother  : 

Your  favor  of  the  9th  March  has  just  come  to 
hand.  I  went  over  to  Mr.  Oncken,  and  tried  to  get 
the  information  desired.  Mr.  Oncken  remembered 
his  good  Captain  Calvin  Tubbs  very  well,  and  spoke 
of  him  with  tenderest  regard,  but  as  to  my  question, 
Whether  he  was  a  Baptist  when  he  first  met  the  cap- 


68  THE    EARLY    AND    LATER 

taiu?  he  could  give  me  no  definite  answer.  He  only- 
said,  "I  think  I  was  no  Baptist  yet,  but  my  memory 
is  so  poor  that  I  cannot  give  you  any  certainty." 

Am  sorry  I  cannot  give  you  a  better  report.  Mr. 
Oncken's  memory  is  so  weak  that  no  reliance  can  be 
put  in  it  now. 

May  God  bless  you  in  your  work  and  multiply  his 
people  in  every  land  and  among  every  tribe ! 
Yours  fraternally, 

Philipp  W.  Bickel. 

Froiii  Eev.  Baraas  Sears,  D.  D.,  LL.D. 

Stauxtox.  Va.,  April  29,  1880. 

Rev.  R.  B.  Cook. 
Dear  Brother  : 

I  often  heard  Mr.  Oncken  speak  of  Captain  Tubbs, 
who  was,  I  think,  at  different  times  at  Hamburg,  and 
with  whom  Mr.  Oncken  corresponded.  He  always 
spoke  of  him  with  the  greatest  Christian  affection. 
My  impression  is  that  Mr.  Oncken  got  his  Baptist 
views  first  from  him ;  that  is,  that  he  first  talked  with 
him  on  the  subject  of  Baptism.  His  own  doubts  may 
have  preceded  that  time.  As  Secretary  of  the  Lower 
Saxony  Tract  Society  he  expressed  his  doubts  in  a 
letter  to  Dr.  Maclay,  and  Dr.  Maclay  asked  me  to 
seek  him  out  in  Hamburg,  which  I  did,  and  I  found 
his  views  settled  on  the  subject.  He  wished  me  to 
converse  with  his  wife  and  four  or  five  others,  who 
were  then  much  troubled  with  doubts ;  all  of  whom 
were  baptized  afterward. 

Yours  truly, 

B.  Sears. 


)ELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  69 

From  John  L.  Dagg,  D.  D. 

Haynesville,  Ala.,  August  28,  1880. 

Eev.  R.  B.  Cook. 
Dear  Beother  : 

Your  letter  of  the  17th  inst.  was  received  yester- 
day. .  .  .  Brother  Calvin  Tubbs  was  a  highly-esteemed 
member  of  the  Fifth  Baptist  in  Philadelphia  when  I 
was  its  Pastor.  The  place  of  his  nativity  I  cannot  tell 
you.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of  a  Baptist  minister 
in  the  State  of  Delaware.  ...  I  think  it  was  Gideon 
Farrell.  Brother  Tubbs  was  captain  of  a  trading  ves- 
sel Avhich  used  to  sail  from  Philadelphia  to  Hamburg. 
At  Hamburg  he  formed  acquaintance  with  the  Rev. 
J.  G.  Oncken  while  yet  a  Pedobaptist,  and  not  only 
became  much  interested  in  him,  but  interested  me  also 
by  the  account  of  him  which  he  gave  me.  At  one 
time  he  showed  me  a  letter  which  he  had  received 
from  him,  and  which  at  my  request  he  permitted  me 
to  get  published.  It  was  published  in  the  Baptist 
Tract  Magazine,  the  organ  of  the  American  Baptist 
Publication  Society,  and  this  published  letter,  I  think, 
was  the  first  thing  that  brought  Mr.  Oncken  to  the 
notice  of  our  American  people.  ...  On  the  question 
whether  Captain  Tubbs  had  any  connection  with  the 
conversion  of  Mr.  Oncken  to  Baptist  views  I  can  say 
nothing.  .  .  . 

Your  brother  in  Christ, 

J.  L.  Dagg. 


70  THE    EARLY    AND    LATER 

From  Jonah  G.  Warren,  D,  D. 

Newton  Centre,  Mass.,  August  12,  1880. 

Rev.  R.  B.  Cook. 

My  Dear  Brother  : 
Yours  of  the  11th  is  at  hand.  In  looking  into  my 
copy-book,  containing  letters  written  from  Germany 
in  1867,  I  find  the  following  reference  to  Captain 
Tubbs.  It  occurs  in  a  description  I  gave  of  a  certain 
house  in  which  Oncken  at  one  time  lived,  and  reads 
thus: 

"While  living  in  this  house,  an  American  seaman, 
Captain  Tubbs,  a  member  of  the  old  Sansom  Street 
Baptist  Church,  Philadelphia,  being  ice-bound,  was 
compelled  to  spend  the  winter  in  Hamburg.  Oncken 
took  him  into  his  family,  and  during  the  long  winter 
evenings  they  talked  over  the  doctrines  and  practices 
of  the  Baptist  churches  in  the  United  States,  prayed 
together,  and  together  went  to  the  '  upjDer  room '  and 
worshipped  God  in  company  with  the  band  of  be- 
lievers. When  he  returned  home  Captain  Tubbs  told 
his  Pastor,  Mr.  Dagg,  and  afterward  Dr.  Cone,  what  a 
treasure  he  had  found  in  Hamburg,  and  how  his  late 
'  host '  was  looking  for  some  one  to  baptize  him.  God 
always  has  some  way  to  bring  to  pass  his  grand 
designs.  Soon  after  correspondence  was  opened  be- 
tween America  and  Germany,  and  results  whose  fame 
is  in  all  the  churches  followed  in  rapid  succession." 

I  may  say,  in  addition,  that  my  book,  now  open  be- 
fore me,  gives  the  fullest,  most  accurate  and  detailed 
description  I  have  ever  seen  of  the  origin  and  progress 
of  the  Baptist  work  in  Germany  as  connected  with 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  71 

Oncken,  and  I  believe  the  best  in  existence,  as  it  was 

taken  down   on  the  spot  from  Dr.   Oncken's    own 

lips.  .  .  . 

Yours  most  truly, 

J.  G.  Warren. 

Enough  lias  been  said  to  show  tliat  German 
Baptists,  if  not  Germany,  are  under  obligation 
to  Captain  Tubbs,  a  missionary  Baptist  of  the 
Welsh  Tract  Church,  and  through  him  to  the 
Baptists  of  "  Little  Delaware/'  The  blessing 
has  already  returned  to  us,  for  Jeremiah  Grim- 
mell,  the  founder  of  the  German  Church  in 
Wilmington,  was  baptized  by  Dr.  Oncken.  It 
gives  us  a  peculiar  pleasure  to  begin  the  his- 
tory of  the  great  German  Baptist  movement, 
so  far-reaching  and  wonderful,  upon  Delaware 
soil.  Dr.  Oncken  acknowledges  his  indebted- 
ness in  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  ac- 
knowledging the  reception  of  tracts  from  the 
American  Baptist  Publication  Society,  con- 
tained in  the  Tract  Magazine  for  1833:  "The 
publications  of  your  Society  on  Baptism  are  ad- 
mirable. They  were  quite  new  to  me,  and 
have  tended  not  a  little  to  establish  me  in  my 
purpose  to  comply  with  this  part  of  my  Sa- 
viour's command  as  soon  as  possible."* 

*  For  those  who  wish  to  examine  the  matter  further  I 


72  THE    EARLY    AND    LATER 

In  the  days  of  these  men  the  Baptists  of 
Delaware  were  a  missionary,  and  consequently 
a  growing,  people,  and  Delaware  was  a  centre 
of  Baptist  power  and  influence.  Here  is  an 
extract  illustrative  of  the  missionary  spirit  of 
this  period,  taken  from  the  Corresponding  Letter 
of  the  Delaware  Association,  written  by  John 
M.  Peck  and  endorsed  by  Rev.  Jethro  Johnson, 
Moderator,  and  approved  by  the  Association  at 
the  meetings  the  year  following  that  in  which 
Captain  Tubbs  was  baptized  (1816):  ''If  we 
take  a  cursory  view  of  what  has  been  effected 
in  the  last  twenty-five  years,  who  can  withhold 
the  exclamation,  ^What  hath  God  lor ought  P 
At  that  period  the  missionary  flame  commenced 
in  Europe :  it  hath  kindled  across  continents 
and  islands,  until  the  same  holy  fervor,  in  a 
good  degree,  warms  the  hearts  of  God's  chil- 
dren on  every  side  of  the  globe.  Xo  difficulties 
are  insuperable  to  the  zeal  which  animates  the 
heralds  of  salvation  :  they  go  forth  in  every 
direction,    bearing    the    precious    treasure    of 

refer  them  to  The  Baptist  Jlissionary  Magazine  for  1834 
(p.  290),  1835  (p.  229),  1836  (p.  223 1,  1837  (p.  65),  1838 
(p.  229).  The  Eev.  Frank  S.  Dobbins  has  kindly  fur- 
nished me  with  these  references. 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  73 

eternal  life.  Already  the  streams  of  salvation 
are  poured  upon  the  burning  plains  of  India ! 
The  disciples  of  Brahma,  the  votaries  of  Jug- 
gernaut, and  the  deluded  followers  of  the  Ara- 
bian impostor  catch  the  song  of  redeeming  love ! 
Ethiopia  is  beginning  to  stretch  forth  her  hands 
to  God,  and  the  isles  to  wait  for  liis  law !  .  .  . 
The  real  Christian,  while  viewing,  on  the  one 
hand,  the  darkness,  misery,  and  guilt  of  a  large 
portion  of  the  human  family  who  are  famishing 
for  the  ^  bread  of  eternal  lijej  and  on  the  other 
the  ardent  zeal  discovered  to  relieve  their  mis- 
erable state,  pants  for  the  ])rivilege  of  entering 
into  the  harvest.  .  .  .  Had  we  lived  half  a 
century  ago,  we  might  have  been  suffered  to 
sleep  securely,  insensible  to  the  wants  of  our 
perishing  fellow-men.  .  .  .  Let  us  cast  our  eyes 
on  the  multitudes  around  us  in  this  land  of 
gospel  light,  .  .  .  without  the  means  of  re- 
ligious instruction.  .  .  .  Let  us  feel  for  the 
poor  Hindoo.  .  .  .  Let  us  be  aroused  by  these 
considerations  to  make  one  united  and  vigorous 
effort  to  spread  the  gospel  of  Jesus  both  at 
home  and  abroad." 
7 


74  the  early  and  later 

12.  The  Delaware  Association,  1795. 
Benedict  says  tliat  an  Association  was  formed 
among  the  Baptists  of  Delaware,  but  at  what 
date  he  is  unable  to  say.  It  seems  from  the 
following,  published  in  1830,  that  the  date  of 
organization  was  1795:  "The  Constitution  of 
the  Delaware  Baptist  Association,  ratified  and 
confirmed  by  the  delegates  of  the  Welsh  Tract, 
Cow  Marsh,  Duck  Creek,  Queen  Anne's,  Wil- 
mington, and  Mispillion  churches,  the  24th  day 
of  October,  A.  d.  1795."  This  document  is 
sitjned  bv  the  Pastors  of  the  churches  at  that 
time,  and  by  one  delegate  from  each  church. 
Other  proof  is  not  wanting.  Five  of  these 
churches  were  in  Delaware,  and  one  probably 
in  Maryland.  Several  churches  in  Pennsyl- 
vania soon  joined  the  Association,  those  of  them 
connected  with  tlie  Philadelphia  Association 
withdrawing  for  the  purpose.  According  to 
the  Minutes  of  the  Philadelphia  xissociation 
of  1794,  the  Cow  Marsh,  Welsh  Tract,  Duck 
Creek,  and  Wilmington  churches  requested 
"  a})probation  and  dismission  "  from  the  Asso- 
ciation ''  to  join  another."  It  was  voted  that 
as  the  relation  had  been  a  long  and  happy  one, 
they  would  be  glad  to  have  it  continue;  but  if 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  76 

they  wished  to  withdraw,  consent  was  granted. 
They  withdrew,  and  formed  the  Delaware  Asso- 
ciation, as  we  have  seen.  One,  the  Mispillion, 
came  from  the  Salisbury  Association.  It  seems, 
then,  that  union  between  Delaware  and  Penn- 
sylvania churches  in  a  Delaware  Association  is 
no  new  thing.  Benedict  says  that  the  Delaware 
Association  was  a  corresponding  body  of  the 
Philadelphia  Association  as  early  as  1798,  but 
the  Philadelphia  Association  sent  both  letter 
and  messenger  to  them  in  1796,  which  was  the 
first  meeting  held  after  the  organization.  At 
the  same  meeting  of  the  Philadelphia  Associa- 
tion, Dr.  Rogers  and  Rev.  T.  Ustick  were  ap- 
pointed to  revise  and  publish  the  materials 
toward  a  history  of  the  Baptists  in  Delaware 
by  Morgan  Edwards,  just  dead.  Of  the  four 
churches  in  Delaware  that  had  joined  the  Salis- 
bury Association,  three — viz.  the  Sounds,  Broad 
Creek,  and  Gravelly  Branch — continued  in  that 
connection.  All  the  other  Baptist  churches  in 
Delaware  united  with  the  new  Association. 
The  Delaware  Association  was  composed — 
In  1801  of  5  churches  and  293  members. 
''■    1825   ''    9         "  ''     596         " 

"   1879   "    7         "  "     197         " 


76  THE    EAKLY    AND   LATER 

Four  of  the  seven  churches  reported  in  1879 
are  in  Delaware,  and  with  a  total  membership) 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight.  There  are 
besides  two  churclies  in  the  Salisbury  Asso- 
ciation, Little  Creek  and  Broad  Creek,  with 
seventy-two  members,  in  all  (Salisbury  Min.  of 
1879)  making  a  total  in  the  State,  belonging  to 
these  six  churches,  of  two  hundred  members. 
The  once-flourishing  Welsh  Tract  Church  has 
decreased  from  one  hundred  and  ninety-two  in 
1817  to  sixty-four  in  1879,  while  in  the  same 
period  the  First  Wilmington  has  fallen  from 
two  hundred  and  eight  to  eleven.  And  this 
decline  does  not  come  because  the  new  churches 
established  draw  from  them,  for  only  one  new 
interest  has  been  established  by  the  efforts  of 
the  earlier  churches  of  the  Delaware  Asso- 
ciation since  1786,  or  for  nearly  a  century. 
One  church  has  been  organized  in  that  time, 
for  which  I  cheerfully  give  them  all  the  credit 
due.  It  is  called  the  Bethel,  and  was  started 
in  1786  as  a  mission  in  New  Castle  County 
by  the  Welsh  Tract  Church.  It  was  made  to 
stand  alone  by  its  mother  in  1839,  and  consti- 
tuted a  church  with  sixteen  members  after  an 
existence  as  a  mission  of  forty-six  years.   There 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  (7 

were  also  three  churches  formed  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  State  in  the  early  part  of  this  cen- 
tury, and  connected  with  the  Salisbury  Asso- 
ciation—the  Bethel,    in    Sussex    County,   the 
Little  Creek,  and  the  Hillsborough.     The  Lit- 
tle Creek  is  the  only  one  of  the  three  that  sur- 
vives,  and  is  served  in  conjunction   with  the 
Broad  Creek  Church  by  Elder  E.  Rittenhouse, 
who  is  Pastor  also  of  the  First  Wilmington 
Church,  and  the  only  Pastor  of  the  Old  School 
denomination   now   {1880)  in  the  State.     The 
Gravelly   Branch,  Sounds,  Mispillion,  Bethel 
in  New  Castle  County,  Bethel  in  Sussex  Coun- 
ty, and  Hillsborough  churches  are  no  more; 
tiieir  light  has  gone  out,  their  '^  candlestick  " 
has  been  removed,  and  their  empty  meeting- 
houses stand  like  deserted  windmills,  testifying 
of  the  industry  of  a  past  age  that  built  them, 
and  of  the  progressive  spirit  of  the  present  that 
has  left  them  flir  behind.     And   "the  things 
which  remain  "  "  are  ready  to  die.''     The  most 
indication  of  life  is  observable  in  the  venerable 
Welsh  Tract  Church.     Yet  even  here  regular 
service  is  held  only  twice  a  month,  while  with 
the  others  it  is  but  monthly.     The  attendance 
at  all  of  them  is  mostly  small. 
7* 


78  THE    EAKLY    AND   LATER 

The  meetings  of  the  Association,  which  are 
annual,  are  sometimes  largely  attended. 

The  cause  of  this  unusual  decline  in  our  de- 
nominational affairs,  and  of  the  decayed  and 
feeble  state  of  these  early  churches,  is  thus 
stated  by  Rev.  Morgan  J.  Rhees,  then  of  Dela- 
ware, himself  a  Welshman,  in  Benedict's  Hi>i- 
tory  of  the  Baptists :  "  One  general  remark  is 
true  of  them  all :  '  They  j^fogress  backward.^ 
There  has  been  a  regular  decline  for  years, 
even  greater  than  is  exhibited  by  their  returns 
and  their  congregations,  to  almost  nothing. 
There  is  one  prominent  reason  why  these 
churches,  and  those  of  a  kindred  spirit  in  Del- 
aware and  Maryland  and  everywhere  else,  are 
declining,  and  do  not  and  cannot  prosper.  You 
will  find  it  in  Haggai  i.  2-12  and  in  Malachi 
iii.  8-11.  They  withhold  from  the  Lord's 
cause  that  which  he  demands,  and  the  result 
is  the  heavens  withhold  their  blessings.  God 
has  called  for  a  drought  upon  them  in  spiritual 
things,  and  they  are  withering  and  fast  decay- 
ing ;  and  it  needs  no  prophetic  gift  to  see  their 
speedy  dissolution  unless  they  repent  and  re- 
turn to  the  Lord  and  engage  in  his  service. 
It  is  lamentable  to  see  the  light  extinguished 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  79 

where  it  shone  so  clearly,  but  it  is  in  accord- 
ance with  his  plans  w^ho  doeth  all  things  well, 
and  who  will  be  honored  by  the  service  of  his 
professed  disciples.  These  churches  opposed 
all  missionary,  Bible,  Sunday-school,  tract,  and 
temperance  organizations,  and  are  thus  hinder- 
ing the  fulfilment  of  the  Saviour's  command 
^  to  preach  the  gospel  in  all  the  world,  to  every 
creature,'  as  far  as  they  can  do  it ;  and  while 
they  thus  act  they  cannot  prosper"  (p.  630). 

They  are  numerically  much  weaker  to-day 
than  when  these  words  were  written  (1845), 
and  we  can  almost  hear  the  Saviour  say  to 
them,  as  to  the  church  at  Sardis :  "  For  I  have 
not  found  thy  woi^ks  perfect  before  God." 
Were  these  always  the  principles  and  practices 
of  these  churches?  we  ask.  Their  history  be- 
fore the  formation  of  the  Delaware  Association, 
the  multiplication  of  members  and  churches 
among  them  through  their  own  missionary 
labors  as  well  as  those  of  others,  prove  that 
their  faith  and  practice  have  changed.  And 
for  a  quarter  of  a  century  after  the  formation 
of  the  Delaware  Association  these  w^ere  mis- 
sionary churches,  favoring  societies  for  extend- 
ing the  Redeemer's  kingdom  at  home  and  in 


80  THE   EARLY    AND    LATER 

foreign  lands.     But  first  let  us  hear  the  testi- 
mony of  the  fathers  upon  these  points. 

Benedict,  in  his  History  of  the  Baptists  (p. 
626),  says  :  "  The  numbers  and  influence  of  the 
denomination  in  this  State  for  many  years  was 
small,  yet  it  was  for  a  long  time  equal,  in  pro- 
portion to  the  population,  to  any  of  the  Middle 
States.'^  ^^The  community  at  Welsh  Tract  in 
early  times  held  a  respectable  stand  among  the 
American  Baptists ;  it  was  one  of  the  five  churches 
which  formed  the  Philadelphia  Association  ;  its 
ministers  were  among  the  most  active  in  all  Bap- 
tist operations ;  and  the  whole  concern  was  not 
behind  any  of  the  members  of  that  quintuple 
alliance."  A.  D.  Gillette,  D.  D.,  in  the  Cen- 
tenary volume  of  the  Philadelphia  Association 
Minutes  (p.  15,  1849),  says  :  "  This  church  ap- 
pears to  be  very  regular  in  its  first  settlement, 
and  hath  been  the  best  supplied  with  ministers  of 
any  church  belonging  to  this  Association."  W. 
Cathcart,  J).  D.,  in  his  Centennial  Offering  (p. 
62),  says  that  "  John  Adams  of  Massachusetts 
was  on  some  occasions  the  bitterest  enemy  of 
the  Baptists  in  Revolutionary  days,  and  yet  he 
gives  them  considerable  credit  for  bringing  Del- 
aware from  the  gulf  of  disloyalty,  to  the  brink 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  81 

of  which,  he  declares  ^  the  missionaries  of  the 
London  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  , 
in  Foreign  Parts '  had  brought  her,  to  the  plat- 
form of  patriotism."  *  This  shows  their  in- 
fluence at  an  early  date.  In  1790,  M.  Edwards 
writes  (p.  224  M8,  History  of  Delaware) :  "  The 
Delaware  Baptists  are  Calvinistic  in  doctrine, 
and  differ  little  or  nothing  in  discipline  from 
their  brethren  in  neighboring  States." 

From  these  extracts  it  appears  that  they  were 
strong,  influential,  patriotic,  and  orthodox  as  to 
faith  and  practice. 

Still  later,  Benedict  says  of  all  the  Delaware 
Baptist  churches,  that  they  ^^  were  in  full  fellow- 
ship and  cordial  co-operation  with  their  breth- 
ren in  all  plans  of  benevolence  and  evangelical 
efforts,  and  their  course  was  prosperous  and 
progressive  "  (p.  30). 

Let  us  now  follow  briefly  the  history  of  the 
early  Baptists,  as  we  find  it  in  the  Minutes  of 
their  own  Association,  the  Delaware.  We 
shall  find  that  the  latter  statement  of  Benedict 
is  strictly  true  in  every  particular.  In  1804, 
they  were  a  missionary  people,  for  they  pro- 

*  Life  and  Works  of  John  Adams,  by  Charles  Francis 
Adams,  x.  p.  812. 

7*  F 


82  THE   EARLY    AND    LATER 

vided  for  a  missionary  sermon  and  a  collection 
in  each  church  for  the  support  of  "missionary 
brethren ''  preaching  the  gospel  in  destitute 
places.  In  1812,  a  plan  of  the  "  Baptist  Edu- 
cation Society  for  the. Middle  States''  was  read 
and  approved.  This  was  doubtless  a  society  for 
ministerial  education,  to  which  they  are  now 
opposed.  When  the  Foreign  Mission  Society 
of  the  Baptist  denomination  in  America,  now 
known  as  the  American  Baptist  Missionary 
Union,  was  organized  in  Philadelphia,  May 
18,  1814,  by  thirty-three  delegates  from  all 
parts  of  the  country,  two  of  this  number  were 
ministers  closely  identified  with  Delaware — 
namely,  Rev.  John  P.  Peckworth,  then  Pastor 
in  Philadelphia,  and  Rev.  Daniel  Dodge,  Pas- 
tor in  Wilmington  and  the  representative  from 
Delaware  in  the  body.  In  June  following 
(1814)  the  Delaware  Association  passed  the 
following:  "This  Association  having  learned 
with  pleasure  that  a  general  Board  of  Commis- 
sioners for  Foreign  Missions  has  been  formed 
in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  whose  object  is  to 
translate  the  Scriptures  into  the  diiferent  lan- 
guages of  the  heathen  and  send  the  gospel 
among  them,  we  do  therefore  recommend  to 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  83 

our  brethren  and  friends  to  encourage  the  Mis- 
sionary Society  formed  in  this  State." 

This  action  endorses  missions  and  missionary 
societies,  and  shows  the  existence  of  an  auxiliary 
society  in  Delaware. 

In  the  record  of  1815  we  find  the  following 
minute:  ^^It  is  with  heartfelt  satisfaction  we 
have  received  communications  from  our  Brother 
Rice,  with  the  first  Report  of  the  Board  of  For- 
eign Missions,  accompanied  with  a  letter  from 
their  Corresponding  Secretary,  and  would  earn- 
estly recommend  to  our  brethren  to  have  a 
missionary  sermon  preached  annually  in  their 
respective  churches,  and  a  collection  raised 
and  forwarded  to  the  branch  society  of  Dela- 
ware." 

In  1816,  at  Welsh  Tract,  the  Association 
passed  the  following :  "  It  is  with  pleasure  that 
we  have  received  the  following  letter  from  the 
Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Baptist  Board 
of  Foreign  Missions  (Dr.  Staughton),  with  a 
request  that  it  be  inserted  in  our  minutes,  and 
have  appointed  Brother  Dodge  as  our  Cor- 
responding Secretary  to  receive  and  distribute 
the  next  Annual  Report  (the  second)  of  the 
Board,  and  preserve  our  correspondence  with 


84  THE    EARLY    AND    LATER 

them."  The  letter  referred  to  is  printed  in  fall 
in  the  Minutes. 

At  the  same  meeting  the  first  Report  of  the 
Delaware  Bible  Society  was  presented  and 
affectionately  commended  to  the  brethren.  At 
this  time  (1816)  the  Welsh  Tract  Church  had  a 
membership  of  one  hundred  and  ninety,  and 
the  Wilmington  Church  two  hundred  and  eight. 
This  shows  the  effect  of  the  missionary  spirit. 
Now  (1879)  the  Welsh  Tract  numbers  but  sixty- 
four,  and  the  Wilmington  Church  only  eleven. 

In  1817,  the  Constitution  of  "  The  Delaware 
Society  for  Domestic  Missions"  was  adopted 
by  the  Association,  and  printed  in  the  Minutes. 
Its  object  was  to  "  aid  poor  and  destitute 
churches  in  the  support  of  the  stated  ministry 
of  the  word,  and  to  supply  destitute  neighbor- 
hoods with  the  gospel."  The  Society  existed 
for  years,  carried  out  its  object,  met  with  and 
had  its  proceedings  printed  in  the  Minutes  of 
the  Association.  Women  were  appointed  col- 
lectors in  all  the  churches. 

In  1818,  Rev.  Samuel  R.  Green,  Pastor  of 
the  First  Wilmington  Church,  wrote  in  the 
Corresponding  Letter :  "  Although  there  are  not 
many  added  to  our  little  number  to  swell  our 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  85 

song  of  praise,  yet  the  pleasure  of  hearing  that 
our  churches  are  firmly  established  in  the  faitli, 
and  that  they  are  cemented  in  love,  cheers  our 
hearts.  The  kingdom  of  the  Lord  is  rapidly 
advancing;  the  stone  cut  out  of  the  mountains 
without  hands  is  spreading ;  the  little  handful 
of  corn  that  is  scattered  upon  the  mountains 
shall  wax  like  Lebanon.  Christians  are  uniting 
their  energies;  the  gospel  is  spreading.  .  .  . 
Ethiopia  is  about  to  stretch  forth  her  hands 
unto  God.  We  live  in  an  eventful  period. 
Much  remains  to  be  done.  May  we,  brethren, 
look  about  us,  and  while  we  pray  Thy  Jdngdom 
come,  endeavor  to  exert  every  nerve,  remember- 
ing that  God  has  connected  the  means  with  the 
ends." 

In  1 820,  the  Association  "  Resolved,  That  our 
Brother  David  Greene  be  appointed  our  mis- 
sionary, as  far  as  our  funds  will  admit,  and  that 
he  be  authorized  to  make  collections  as  often 
as  expedient,  whenever  he  may  preach,  to  aid 
the  funds  of  this  Society.  That  Brother  Greene, 
receive  four  dollars  per  week  for  his  services, 
and  that  he  have  a  letter  of  recommendation, 
signed  by  the  Moderator  and  Clerk  of  this 
Association."     In  the  Corresponding  Letter  of 


86  THE    EARLY   AND    LATER 

the  same  year  Rev.  Jethro  Johnson  says  :  "  It 
appears  by  the  information  we  received  during 
the  session  from  different  parts  of  the  continent 
tliat  a  union  in  sentiment  and  practice  general- 
ly prevails  among  our  churches,  and  that  al- 
though additions  are  not  numerous,  yet  peace 
almost  univ^ersally  prevails,  and  most  of  the 
meeting-houses  among  us  are  commonly  crowd- 
ed with  attentive  hearers.  The  gradual  increase 
of  the  gospel,  together  with  the  missionary 
spirit  that  in  almost  every  place  appears  to 
prevail,  leads  us  to  believe  that  j^rophecies  are 
actually  fulfilling  ^Thy  kingdom  come.^ " 

In  the  Corresponding  Letter  of  1822,  they 
say  :  "  The  accounts  we  have  had  from  differ- 
ent sources,  and  especially  from  the  Mission 
Board,  are  truly  refreshing."  .  .  .  "May  we 
feel  ourselves  deeply  interested  in  this,  and  es- 
teem it  not  only  our  duty  to  put  up  our  pray- 
ers, but  to  use  all  the  means  God  has  placed  in 
our  power,  believing  at  the  same  time  that  he 
who  hath  said,  ^  He  must  increase,'  hath  also 
declared,  '  Be  ye  workers  together  with  God.' " 

One  might  suppose  from  this  that  there  were 
differences  of  opinion  among  them,  but  in  1824 
the  Corresponding  Letter  says:  "We  have  the 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  87 

pleasure  to  inform  you  that  harmony  now  pre- 
vails in  our  churches/^  Also,  "  We  have  been 
cheered  witli  accounts  from  various  parts  of 
the  world,  in  which  the  Lord  is  lifting  up  his 
banner  and  drawing  souls  to  it,  and  we  earn- 
estly pray  tliat  he  will  continue  to  display  the 
powers  of  his  grace/^ 

In  1825,  they  received  a  report  from  the 
"Baptist  General  Tract  Society,"  now  the 
"American  Baptist  Publication  Society," 
through  the  agent  in  Wilmington,  Samuel 
Harker.  It  was  referred  for  examination  to 
Messrs.  Dale  and  Wool  ford,  who  reported, 
highly  approving  its  design  and  wishing  en- 
couragement for  it;  and  this  report  was  adopt- 
ed. At  the  same  meeting  the  formation  of  a 
Domestic  Mission  Society  was  reconmiended, 
and  it  was  agreed  that  a  special  meeting  take 
place  for  the  purpose  at  Bethel;  that  a  mis- 
sionary sermon  be  preached  by  either  Jethro 
Johnson  or  Thomas  Barton;  that  an  appeal 
for  aid  be  made  in  an  address;  and  that  a 
certain  constitution  be  adopted  to  carry  the 
purpose  into  immediate  effect,  so  far  as  to  pro- 
ceed in  obtaining  subscribers. 

We  append  a  few  extracts  from  the  address. 


S8  THE   EARLY   AND    LATER 

prepared  by  Messrs.  Barton  and  Woolford, 
and  published  in  the  Minutes  and  endorsed  by 
the  Association :  "  Upon  our  Peninsula  there 
lias  been,  and  still  remains  to  be,  a  lamentable 
deficiency  in  the  supply  of  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel.  The  Christian,  .  .  .  realizing  .  .  . 
the  danger  to  which  the  unconverted  soul  is 
exposed,  ...  is  disposed  to  employ  his  purse 
and  his  pen  that  he  may  aid  in  disseminating 
a  knowledge  of  that  only  ^name  given  under 
heaven  among  men,  whereby  we  must  be 
saved.'  The  ordinary  means  by  which  this 
knowledge  is  to  be  obtained  is  the  preaching 
of  the  gospel.  .  .  .  AVe  are  called  upon  by  the 
most  imposing  considerations  to  regard  the 
condition  of  those  who  are  famishing  for  want 
of  the  water  of  life,  and  to  endeavor  to  supply 
them.  .  .  .  Those  who  can  be  indifferent  .  .  . 
are  certainly  not  under  the  proper  influence  of 
the  spirit  which  the  religion  of  the  cross  is  cal- 
culated to  produce." 

The  next  year  (1826)  the  Corresponding  Letter 
says  :  "  Since  our  last  communication  we  have 
formed  a  Society  for  Domestic  Missions,  to 
carry  the  word  of  life  into  those  places  adjacent 
on  this  Peninsula  which  are  destitute;  and  we 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  89 

trust  that  the  zeal  and  vigor  with  which  the 
thing  is  entered  into  is  an  indication  that  the 
time  to  favor  Zion  is  at  hand." 

The  record  in  1827  is  :  "  No  questions  gen- 
dering strife  have  interrupted  the  harmony  of 
our  present  meeting;"  while  the  next  year 
their  session  Avas  "particularly  harmonious;" 
and  they  were  greatly  rejoiced  in  communi- 
cating "the  pleasing  intelligence  of  large  ad- 
ditions to  our  churches  J  ^ 

In  1830,  the  Association,  by  the  unanimous 
approval  of  the  churches,  ordered  to  be  printed 
the  Constitution  and  Rules  before  referred  to  as 
having  been  previously  adopted  in  1795,  and 
signed  by  the  ministers  and  delegates  of  the 
churches  at  that  time.  This  shows  that  their 
faith  in  1830  was  the  same  as  in  1795.  This 
document  is  preserved  with  their  Minutes. 

But  notice  the  final  article  of  faith  :  "  Final- 
ly, we  approve  of  the  Confession  of  Faith 
adopted  by  the  Philadelphia  Association,  Sep- 
tember 25,  1742,  as  generally  expressing  our 
opinion  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  which  we  hold 
above  all  as  the  only  certain  rule  of  faith  and 
practice."  This  carries  us  back  fifty-three  year^, 
more,  and  we  find  the  doctrines  of  1742  un- 

8  •* 


90  THE    EARLY    AND    LATER 

changed  in  1830,  and  in  accord  with  the  Phil- 
adelphia Association.  And  in  this  same  year 
(1830)  we  find  them  in  fellowship  and  corre- 
sponding with  the  Philadelphia,  Hudson  River, 
New  York,  and  New  Jersey  Associations,  and 
receiving  by  vote  the  Central  New  Jersey  As- 
sociation as  a  corresponding  body. 

From  the  foregoing  facts  we  are  justified  in 
reaffirming  that  the  earlier  and  the  later  mis- 
sionary Baptist  churches  of  Delaware  are  one ; 
but  from  this  period  on,  mark  the  change. 

Rev.  Samuel  Trott  became  Pastor  of  AYelsh 
Tract  Church  in  1831,  and  immediately  ap- 
pears to  have  taken  the  front  in  leading  the 
churches  away  from  the  faith.  In  the  Corre- 
sponding Letter  of  1831  he  says :  "  We  receive 
him  (Christ)  as  our  Pattern ;  hence  we  do  not 
walk  in  the  observance  of  many  things  which 
have  been  introduced  among  Baptists  generally, 
and  received,  though  of  human  contrivance,  as 
of  great  importance  in  furthering  the  cause  of 
religion,  because  we  do  not  see  our  Jesus  going 
before  in  the  practice  of  them,  and  we  desire  to 
keep  in  his  footsteps,  believing  it  the  safest 
path.  Hence  we  prefer  praying  to  him,  the 
Lord  of  the  harvest,  to   send    forth    laborers 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  91 

into  his  harvest  such  as  lie  shall  choose  and 
qualify,  and  rely  on  his  wisdom,  power,  and 
faithfulness  to  provide  all  things  necessary  for 
gathering  in  his  elect  and  extending  the  know- 
ledge of  his  salvation  to  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
to  resorting  to  the  plans  of  human  contrivance, 
however  plausible,  for  accomplishing  these 
things/'  In  1832,  he  returns  to  the  charge  in 
the  Circular  Letter  endorsed  by  the  Associa- 
tion, and  condemns  the  plan  of  ministerial  sup- 
port by  salaries,  the  mission  societies  (ministers- 
agents,  missionaries  of  societies),  and  theological 
seminaries. 

In  the  Corresponding  Letter  of  the  same 
year.  Rev.  Thomas  Barton  says :  "  Our  letters 
chiefly  coQiplain  of  small  ingatherings.  .  .  . 
As  to  the  cause  of  the  state  of  our  churches, 
various  conjectures  exist.  By  one,  lamentable 
inertness  and  the  predominancy  of  anti-effort 
principles  is  assigned  as  the  cause.  As  to  the 
first,  we  hope  none  of  us  are  prepared  to  adopt 
the  invitation  of  Jehu,  ^Come,  see  my  zeal  for 
the  Lord  of  hosts,'  but  with  humility  would 
acknowledge  our  shortcomings.  As  to  the  mod- 
ern system,  imposed  upon  the  churches  under 
the  assumed  authority  of  divine  institutions,  we 


92  THE   EARLY   AND    LATER 

are  not  prejiared  to  receive  it.  We  know  that 
the  work  of  salvation  is  of  God ;  and  why  he 
does  not  convert  more  sinners  among  us  we 
leave  to  him,"  etc. 

After  1834  the  Philadelphia  Association  is 
dropped  from  the  Minutes  as  a  corresponding 
body,  the  New  York,  Hudson  River,  New  Jer- 
sey, Central  New  Jersey,  and  other  Associations 
having  been  dropped  before. 

The  crisis,  however,  came  in  1835,  when  a 
handful  of  faithful  ones  withdrew  from  the 
church  at  Wilmington  and  formed  the  Second 
Church. 

Rev.  William  K.  Robinson,  Pastor  of  Welsh 
Tract  Church,  writes  in  the  Corresponding  Let- 
ter of  1835  :  "  We  have  truly  reason  to  lament 
the  state  of  things,  while  there  are  so  many 
that  have  embraced  the  general  system  of  doc- 
trine and  the  whole  brood  of  benevolent  insti- 
tutions so  called,  therein  uniting  the  cliurch 
and  the  world  together,  saying  that  in  money 
there  is  power  sufficient,  if  there  can  be  enough 
obtained,  to  save  the  whole  world ;  but  we  as 
an  Association  have  not  so  learned  Christ." 
And  in  1836  the  Association  refused  by  vote 
to  receive  into  fellowship  persons  baptized  "by 


DELAWAEE   BAPTISTS.  93 

those  who  are  engaged  iu  the  new-fangled  sys- 
tems of  the  day."  In  the  same  year  (1836)  the 
Corresponding  Letter,  written  by  one  "  Brother 
Scott/'  and  signed  by  Rev.  Peter  Meredith, 
Pastor  at  Cow  Marsh,  as  Moderator  of  the  As- 
sociation, contains  the  following :  "  Jesus  Christ 
has  been  set  forth  as  the  only  way  of  life  and 
salvation,  and  that  entirely  independent  of  hu- 
man agency.  The  enemy  has  made  a  descent 
upon  one  of  our  churches  to  sow  the  seeds 
of  discord,  and  by  that  means  endeavor  to 
carry  off  the  prize;  but  in  this  we  rejoice  to 
say  that  they  have  been  disappointed  and  their 
partial  triumphs  have  proved  a  blessing  to 
us." 

It  proved  their  ruin  and  a  blessing  to  the 
cause  of  Christ,  for  while  they  have  dwindled 
to  eleven,  the  thirteen  who  seceded  now  number 
in  Wilmington  alone  five  churches  and  fifteen 
hundred  and  eighty-six   members. 

"  We  are,"  he  continues,  "  but  a  feeble  body, 
and  much  exposed  to  the  innovations  of  the 
learned  gentry  of  the  day,  who  swarm  out  of 
the  theological  institutions  like  locusts,  and  are 
ready  to  devour  the  land."  What  would  the 
writer  say  now  to  see  so  many   noble  young 


94  THE   EARLY   AND    LATER 

men  trained  at  the  Crozer  Theological  Seminary 
laboring  in  Delaware  in  the  cause  of  Christ? 

The  misrepresentations  and  unfairness  of  some 
of  these  statements  as  to  the  doctrines  and  prac- 
tices of  missionary  Baptists  are  apparent  to  every 
well-informed  mind.  It  is,  doubtless,  the  case 
that  the  Antinomianism  that  led  to  the  separa- 
tion of  1835,  as  well  as  the  change  of  action 
in  tlie  Association,  was  for  some  time  gathering 
force,  like  a  smouldering  fire,  before  it  gained 
controlling  power. 

The  Corresponding  Letter  of  the  Philadel- 
phia Association  of  1834  contains  the  following 
words,  which  show  plainly  the  wide  difference 
then  and  now  existino;  between  those  calling^ 
themselves  the  Old  School  Baptists  and  those 
called  the  K"ew  School :  "  Our  churches  gen- 
erally are  rooted  and  grounded  in  the  faith, 
and  in  that  faith  which  is  fruitful  of  good  works. 
The  circulation  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  and  of 
evangelical  tracts ;  the  teaching  of  sacred  truth 
to  our  children  in  Sunday-schools ;  the  promo- 
tion of  temperance  associations,  with  kindred 
institutions,  having  in  view  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  advancement  of  the  best  interests  of  our 
fellow-men — have  enlisted,  and  are  continuing 


DELAWAKE    BAPTISTS.  95 

to  enlist  more  and  more,  the  affections  and  the 
energies  of  our  body/' 

In  1856,  for  the  first  time,  the  Association  is 
called  in  the  Minutes  the  "  Delaware  Old  School 
Baptist  Association/'  The  school  to  which  they 
belong  is  doubtless  old.  Do-nothings  need  not 
search  far  for  precedents  and  ancestors  even 
among  Baptists.  But,  had  they  chosen  to  do 
so,  they  could  have  discovered  Baptists  in  un- 
broken line  whose  labors  and  successes  render 
them  worthy  of  emulation  by  all  who  come 
after  them,  and  especially  by  those  who  glory 
in  the  Baptist  name,  which  their  lives  have 
made  honorable  as  the  very  synonym  of  Chris- 
tian activity. 

Who  the  men  were  that  led  the  churches 
away  from  the  faith  and  practice  of  the  fathers 
is  apparent  in  some  cases.  Some  of  them  were 
ministers  of  the  Delaware  Association  and  Pas- 
tors of  the  Baptist  churches  connected  with  it 
in  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware.  Some  of  them 
at  one  time  were  active  in  the  cause  of  Christ 
and  of  missions.  We  have  brought  together  in 
these  pages  their  views  and  actions  at  different 
times,  and  found  them  to  be  in  strong  contrast. 
They  changed,  and  the  churches  and  the  Asso- 


96  THE   EAELY   AND    LATER 

ciation  changed  with  them.  One  notable  in- 
stance is  that  of  the  Rev.  Philip  Hughes,  who, 
after  laboring  so  zealously  in  tlie  cause  of  mis- 
sions, embraced  Antinomian  views,  and  thus 
became  widely  separated  from  his  former  com- 
panion in  labor,  Mr.  Baker.  His  name  is 
merely  mentioned  by  Semple,  and  not  at  all 
by  Taylor,  and  the  reason  is  given  in  Semple's 
History  (p.  397,  note):  He  became  intempe- 
rate in  habit  as  well  as  Antinomian  in  view. 
''  His  last  days  were  a  blot  upon  his  first." 
He  died  at  Dr.  Lemon's,  where  Mr.  Baker 
had  ended  his  days  so  gloriously.  I  would 
not  doubt  the  piety  and  good  intentions  of 
these  men,  but  results  prove  that  theirs  were 
fatal  mistakes — fatal  to  the  very  life  and  exist- 
ence of  the  churches  that  they  meant  to  serve. 
Would  that  their  churches  would  own  their 
error,  retrace  their  steps,  and  help  to  recover, 
in  part  at  least,  what  has  been  lost ! 

II.— THE  LATER  BAPTIST  CHUECHES. 

1.   The  Second   Church,   Wilmington, 

1835. 

The  first  of  these  was  the  Second  Church, 

Wilmington,    organized    September    7,    1835, 


SECOND  CHURCH,  WILMINaTON. 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  97 

with  thirteen  members,  dismissed  by  request 
from  the  First  Church.  Being  opposed  to  the 
erroneous  views  and  practices  into  which  the 
latter  bad  fallen,  they  separated  to  form  a  mis- 
sionary church.  The  constituent  members  were 
Gideon  F.  Tindall,  Susanna  Boulden,  John 
Heazlet,  Susan  Darby,  Moses  Bannister,  Ann 
Bannister,  Robinson  Beckley,  Margaret  Spring- 
er, Sally  Ann  Todd,  Sarah  A.  Graham,  Mar- 
garet Sterrett,  Mary  E.  Stroud,  and  Jane 
Cochran.  Of  these  but  three  are  living:  Gid- 
eon F.  Tindall,  Robinson  Beckley,  and  Mary 
E.  Stroud. 

The  Council  by  which  the  church  was  consti- 
tuted was  composed  of  the  following  ministers : 
Rev.  Joseph  H.  Kennard  and  Rev.  James  J. 
Woolsey  of  Philadelphia,  Rev.  Leonard  Fletch- 
er of  Great  Valley,  Pa.,  and  Rev.  George  I. 
Miles  of  West  Chester,  Pa.  It  will  be  ob- 
served that  this  movement  received  recognition 
from  Pennsylvania,  and  that  no  Delaware  min- 
ister was  present.  The  next  year  (1836)  the 
church  united  with  the  Philadelphia  Associa- 
tion. The  American  Baptist  Home  Mission 
Society  extended  aid  to  this  feeble  band  at  this 
time  and  once  afterward. 

9  G 


98  THE    EARLY    AND    LATER 

The  new  church  worshipped  first  in  a  rented 
room  on  Sixth  Street,  and  in  the  old  meeting- 
house of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church.  They 
soon  secured  a  house  of  their  own,  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Walnut  and  Fifth  Streets,  now  occupied 
by  the  German  Baptist  Church.  During  the 
eighteen  years  they  occupied  this  house  great 
prosperity  attended  them.  For  seven  years  of 
this  period  Rev.  Morgan  J.  Rhees,  D.  D.,  was 
their  Pastor,  during  whose  pastorate  the  church 
reached  a  membership  of  four  hundred,  and 
showed  great  liberality  in  their  contributions  to 
the  various  objects  of  benevolence.  One  year 
they  report  one  thousand  dollars  contributed  for 
benevolence  abroad.  Besides,  they  became  self- 
sustaining,  giving  up  voluntarily  the  aid  ex- 
tended to  them  by  the  American  Baptist  Home 
Mission  Society.  In  1848,  while  Pastor  here, 
Dr.  Rhees  was  made  Moderator  of  the  Phila- 
delphia Association. 

In  1852,  Rev.  Frederick  Charlton  being 
Pastor,  the  church  resolved  to  build  in  a  new . 
location,  and  Mr.  Washington  Jones  was  made 
Chairman  of  the  Building  Committee.  A  lot 
was  purchased  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  and 
French  Streets,  and  the  present   commodious 


"WASHINGTON  JONKS. 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  99 

house  of  worship  built.  It  y/iU  seat  over  six 
hundred  persons^  and  is  worth  at  least  thirty 
thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Jones  took  an  active 
part  in  the  enterprise,  both  by  his  own  large 
contributions  and  his  zealous  efforts  in  collect- 
ing funds  from  others.  Besides,  he  gave  his 
time  and  personal  attention  to  the  erection  of 
the  building,  and  when  it  was  complete  he,  his 
father,  William  G.  Jones,  and  Jacob  M.  Chal- 
fant,  gave  their  individual  notes  for  ten  thou- 
sand dollars  debt  remaining  upon  it.  Mr. 
Jones  was  then,  and  has  been  ever  since,  the 
largest  contributor  to  the  funds  of  this  church. 
It  is  remarkable  that  while  engrossed  in  build- 
ing a  new  house  of  worship  they  contributed 
more  to  Christian  benevolence  abroad  than  in 
former  years,  and  enjoyed  besides  a  gracious 
revival  and  large  accessions. 

On  the  3d  of  May,  1855,  the  new  and  hand- 
some house  of  worship  was  dedicated.  The 
sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  Benj.  Griffith, 
D.  D.  The  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the 
opening  was  commemorated  May,  1880.  In 
preparation  for  this,  nearly  one  thousand  dollars 
were  raised  and  expended  for  painting  and  re- 
pairs; and  as  much  more  being  required  for 


100       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

the  same  purpose,  Mr.  S.  A.  Hodgman  proposed 
that  three  thousand  dollars  be  raised — two  thou- 
sand dollars  to  pay  off  the  debt  of  the  church 
contracted  for  improvements  some  years  ago. 
On  Sunday  morning,  February  22,  1880,  Mr. 
Washington  Jones  secured  the  whole  amount, 
and  the  house,  handsomely  frescoed,  was  re- 
opened May  16  and  17,  1880,  with  appropriate 
exercises.  Tlie  Committee  having  the  work  in 
charge — Alfred  Gawthrop,  George  A.  Le  Mais- 
tre,  and  Edgar  H.  Quinby — did  their  work 
well. 

The  present  membership  is  three  hundred 
and  sixty-six,  Avith  two  Sunday-schools  and  six 
hundred  and  sixty-seven  scholars  and  teachers. 
This  church  has  enjoyed  in  its  history,  extend- 
ing over  nearly  fifty  years,  five  great  revivals. 
In  1842,  under  Rev.  Sandford  Leach,  aided  by 
Rev.  Emerson  Andrews,  evangelist,  the  mem- 
bership was  increased  from  seventy-nine  to  two 
hundred.  In  1843-44,  under  Rev.  M.  J.  Rhees, 
D.  D.,  assisted  by  Elder  Jacob  Knapp,  one 
hundred  and  fifty-six  were  converted.  In  1854, 
under  Rev.  Frederick  Charlton,  their  number 
advanced  from  three  hundred  and  fifteen  to 
four  hundred  and  one.     In  1865,  under  Rev. 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  101 

J.  S.  Dickerson,  D.  D.,  assisted  by  Elder  Jacob 
Knapp,  one  hundred  and  ninety -four  were 
added.  In  1876,  during  the  present  pastorate, 
one  hundred  and  seventy-two  united  with  the 
church.  In  1867,  the  Philadelphia  Association 
met  with  this  church. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  Pastors,  with  the 
dates  of  their  service :  Rev.  Jonathan  G.  Col- 
lom  first  served  the  church  as  supply  for  three 
months.  Rev.  C.  W,  Dennison,  from  Septem- 
ber 9,  1836,  to  February  25,  1839.  Rev. 
George  Carleton,  from  September  15,  1839,  to 
April  14,  1841.  Rev.  Sandford  Leach,  from 
July  1,  1841,  to  June  17, 1842.  Rev.  Morgan 
J.  Rhees,  D.  D.,  from  April  2,  1843,  to  May 
27,  1850.  Rev.  Jonathan  G.  Collom,  from 
August  1,  1850,  to  March  22,  1853.  Rev. 
Frederick  Charlton,  from  June  27,  1853,  to 
August,  1857.  Rev.  George  M.  Condron,  from 
April  1,  1858  to  October  1,  1859.  Rev.  James 
S.  Dickerson,  D.  D.,  from  March  1,  1861,  to 
May,  1865.  Rev.  W.  H.  H.  Marsh,  from 
September  1,  1865,  to  March  26,  1871.  Rev. 
James  Waters,  from  March  24,  1872,  to  No- 
vember 16,  1873.  Rev.  Alexander  McArthur, 
from  March,  1874,  to  September,  1875.     Rev. 

9  * 


102       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

Richard  B.  Cook,  the  present  Pastor,  who  came 
December  1,  1875. 

Prior  to  the  formation  of  this  church  a  few 
members — sixteen  in  number — withdrew  from 
the  First  Church,  and  formed  themselves  into 
a  church  which  appears  on  the  Minutes  of  the 
Delaware  Association  as  the  Second  of  Wil- 
mington. It  was  organized  April  4,  1814, 
and  received  into  the  Association  the  same 
year,  William  G.  Jones  being  one  of  the  mes- 
sengers to  receive  the  hand  of  fellowship.  But 
this  church  was  dissolved  February  5,  1816. 
Mr.  Jones  did  not  go  back  to  the  First  Church, 
but  united  with  that  at  Marcus  Hook.  He 
was  very  active  in  the  present  Second  Church, 
however,  from  the  start,  though  he  did  not  be- 
come a  member  there  until  the  pastorate  of  Mr. 
Leach,  who,  when  called  by  the  church,  made 
this  the  condition  of  his  acceptance  —  that 
Mr.  Jones  bring  his  letter.  It  was  done,  and 
Mr.  Jones  from  that  time  till  his  death  was 
Deacon  of  the  church.  His  house  was  the 
"  Baptist  Hotel "  throughout  his  time,  and 
many  of  the  leading  men  of  his  day  enjoyed 
his  hospitality. 


KEY.  R.  B.  COOK. 


delaware  baptists.  103 

2.  Dover  Church,  1852. 
The  second  existing  church  formed  in  the 
State  was  that  at  Dover  in  1852.  In  1832, 
George  Parris  came  to  the  neighborhood  of 
Dover  from  New  Jersey.  No  Baptists  of  our 
faith  and  order  were  there  then  except  Jonathan 
Stites  and  Mary  his  wife,  also  from  New  Jer- 
sey, who  preceded  Mr.  Parris  about  two  years. 
They  Avere  intelligent  Christians,  and  adorned  by 
their  walk  and  talk  the  Christian  life  for  many 
years,  both  dying  in  1869.  Rev.  John  P. 
Thompson,  an  old  man,  and  formerly  a  sailor, 
came  to  Dover  and  vicinity,  and  labored  for 
several  years  for  a  small  salary  from  the  Amer- 
ican Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  and  for 
what  could  be  collected  on  the  field.  He  and 
others  labored  up  to  August,  1847,  when  Rev. 
John  P.  Walter  was  persuaded  to  come  to 
Dover.  He  came  October  1st  as  missionary 
on  a  salary  of  three  hundred  dollars,  of  which 
amount  one  hundred  dollars  were  provided  by 
the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society, 
one  hundred  dollars  by  the  Second  Church,  Wil- 
mington, and  one  hundred  dollars  were  assumed 
by  Mr.  Parris  to  be  collected  on  the  field. 


104       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

In  1850,  a  subscription  was  started  for  a  house 
of  worship;  Brethren  Stites  and  Parris  gave 
five  hinidred  dollars  each  toward  it.  Besides, 
tliey  had  bought  the  ])arsonage  and  ground 
next  to  it,  facing  the  Public  Square,  whereon 
the  church  now  stands,  in  1848  and  1849,  in 
trust  for  the  Baptist  Church,  which  was  not 
incorporated  till  1853.  The  corner-stone  of 
the  new  house  was  laid,  September  9,  1850,  by 
Rev.  A.  D.  Gillette,  D,  D.,  of  Philadelphia, 
and  the  basement  dedicated,  January  25,  1852, 
at  which  time  the  church  was  constituted  with 
eight  members — Jonathan  Stites,  Mary  Stites, 
George  Parris,  Jane  E.  Parris  his  wife,  George 
P.  Barker  and  Ruth  Barker  his  wife,  Eliza- 
beth Walker,  and  Beulah  Magonagill.  The 
two  latter  were  daughters  of  Stites  and  wife. 
Mrs.  Walker  was  the  only  one  living  in  Dover, 
the  others  living  in  the  country.  Rev.  J.  G. 
Collom,  Pastor  of  the  Second  Church,  Wil- 
mington, officiated  at  the  constitution  of  the 
church.  Mr.  Walter  became  Pastor  of  the 
church,  and  worked  with  his  own  hands  to  get 
the  house  built.  He  resigned  July  1,  1852, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  D.  A.  Nichols,  who 
resigned  in  1853.     Rev.  E.  R.  Hera  succeeded 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  105 

Mr.  Nichols,  and  left  in  1854.  From  1854  to 
1859  the  church  had  no  Pastor.  Rev.  C.  J. 
Hopkins  became  Pastor  in  1859,  but  retained 
his  charge  only  three  months.  The  church  was 
without  a  Pastor  until  1861,  when  Rev.  H.  C. 
Putnam  settled  with  them.  He  resigned  Sep- 
tember 20,  1863.  They  were  again  without  a 
Pastor  until  1866,  when  Rev.  D.  B.  Purinton 
was  sent  to  Dover  by  the  American  Baptist 
Home  Mission  Society.  He  resigned  the  charge 
of  the  Dover  Church  in  1868,  and  was  succeed- 
ed by  Rev.  O.  F.  Flippo  in  March  of  the  same 
year,  who  remained  Pastor  for  over  two  years. 
While  Pastor  he  baptized  nearly  one  hundred 
believers.  Before  this  there  had  not  been  a 
baptism  nor  an  accession  for  nearly  two  years. 
The  church-doors  even  had  been  closed,  and  all 
was  cheerless  and  discouraging.  November  8, 
1869,  Mr.  Flippo  left  for  a  time  to  collect  funds 
for  the  purchase  of  the  Wyoming  Institute  for 
the  Baptist  denomination.  Rev.  George  Brad- 
ford supplied  the  pulpit  during  his  absence. 
Mr.  Flippo  resigned,  September  15,  1870,  to 
l)ecome  General  Missionary  of  the  American 
Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  in  Delaware  and 
to  give  attention  to  the  Wyoming  Institute. 


106       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

The  coming  of  Mr.  Flippo  into  the  State  was 
followed  by  an  awakening  among  our  churches 
and  a  growth  of  Baptist  sentiment.  We  are 
reminded  of  the  labors  of  Messrs.  Baker  and 
Hughes  nearly  a  hundred  years  before.  He 
was  instrumental  in  the  formation  of  several 
new  churches,  one  of  which  came  over  to  the 
Baptists  from  another  denomination,  Pastor  and 
all.  He  was  also  the  means  of  purchasing  for 
the  denomination,  at  a  reasonable  price,  the  Wy- 
oming Institute,  and  was  its  first  President. 
He  also  edited  and  published  in  the  State  The 
Baptist  Visitor,  by  which  our  history,  work, 
and  principles  were  brought  before  the  people, 
and  much  good  done.  The  frequent  invitations 
he  received  and  accepted  to  present  our  views 
in  sermons  or  lectures  was  another  means  of 
extending  our  principles  and  multiplying  our 
churches.  "  It  pays,"  he  wrote,  "  to  cultivate 
Delaware."  In  all  his  work,  Mr.  Flippo  was 
aided  by  Rev.  George  Bradford,  Rev.  N.  C. 
Naylor,  and  Rev.  Dr.  Isaac  Cole,  who  rendered 
him  efficient  service.  Mr.  Flippo  felt  that  he 
had  hardly  begun  his  w^ork  in  Delaware  when 
it  became  apparent  that  he  must  seek  a  change 
of  climate  for  his  wife,  and  a  field  of  labor 


REV.  JEREMIAH  GRIMMEL, 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  J  07 

where  he  could  be  more  at  home  during  her 
decline.  In  March,  1873,  he  left  the  State  to 
accept  a  pastorate  in  Maryland,  and  a  few 
months  afterward  his  wife  died.  The  Dover 
Church  had  no  Pastor  from  1870  to  1873. 
Rev.  Charles  Harrison  was  Pastor  from  Feb- 
ruary 27  to  September  27,  1873.  There  was 
no  Pastor  from  1873  to  1875.  Rev.  J.  J. 
Reader  was  called  April  18,  1875,  and  resign- 
ed October  1,  1876.  Rev.  B.  G.  Parker,  the 
present  Pastor,  was  called  October  29,  1876. 

3.  First  German  Church,  Wilmington, 
1856. 
Rev.  J.  M.  Hoefiflin  says :  "  In  the  year  1855, 
a  German  Baptist,  Jeremiah  Grimmell  by  name, 
a  bookbinder  by  trade,  came  to  Wilmington, 
Delaware.  He  was  a  native  of  Marburg  in 
Hessen,  where  he  was  banished  from  house  and 
home  on  account  of  his  free  confession  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  only  Saviour  of  the  lost  world.'^  The 
Rev.  Julius  C.  Grimmell,  Pastor  of  the  Ger- 
man Baptist  Church,  Brooklyn,  New  York, 
and  son  of  Jeremiah  Grimmell,  writes :  "  Fa- 
ther was  born  January  25,  1809,  converted  in 
1835,  and  baptized  October  25th  of  the  same 


108  THE    EARLY   AND    LATER 

year,  at  midnight,  in  the  river  Lahn,  by  J.  G. 
Oncken  of  Hamburg.  He  endured  bitter  per- 
secution, the  loss  of  property  and  business,  and 
was  often  held  in  prison  up  to  the  year  1848. 
In  1851,  he  came  to  America,  where  he  first 
gained  converts  in  Williamsburg,  thus  laying 
the  foundation  of  the  church  over  which  I  am 
Pastor.  ...  In  1867,  he  made  Buffalo,  N.  Y., 
his  home,  helping  his  son,  then  Pastor  of  the 
First  German  Baptist  Church,  as  a  most  de- 
sirable aid  and  adviser.  He  died  while  on  a 
visit  to  his  beloved  Wilmington,  April  4, 1871." 
"  In  accordance  with  his  own  conviction,"  con- 
tinues Mr.  Hoefflin,  "  Mr.  Grimmell,  now  being 
in  the  land  of  gospel  liberty,  improved  his  op- 
portunity to  bring  the  joyful  tidings  of  salva- 
tion through  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to 
his  German  friends,  making,  in  this  way  a  faith- 
ful use  of  his  spare  hours,  and  making  even 
more  spare  hours  for  this  very  purpose  than 
the  wants  of  his  family  well  permitted  of;  but 
the  love  of  Christ  constrained  him  thus  to  de- 
vote much  of  his  time  to  making  known  the 
precious  news  which  had  gladdened  his  heart 
and  brightened  his  path.  Miss  Anne  Semple 
found  him  once  in  an  upper  room,  his  shop, 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  109 

working  industriously,  and  all  the  while  talking 
to  a  young  woman,  an  inquirer,  whose  tears 
were  freely  flowing.  After  some  personal 
contact  in  visiting  with  his  German  friends,  he 
invited  them  to  a  religious  meeting  in  his  dwell- 
ing-house, where  a  number  met  with  him.  The 
number  thus  meeting  together  increased  rapidly, 
so  that  his  own  room  was  found  too  small ; 
when  a  neighbor,  Mr.  John  Schwager,  who 
afterward  proved  one  of  the  first  converts, 
kindly  opened  his  basement,  on  the  corner  of 
Pine  and  Fourth  Streets,  where  the  meetings 
were  held  for  a  long  while.  After  some  time 
the  brethren  of  the  Second  Baptist  Church  gave 
them  the  use  of  their  lecture-room,  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Fifth  and  Walnut  Streets,  where  their 
meetings  were  held  for  some  time,  until  the 
church  was  rented ;  then  they  received  short 
notice  to  vacate  the  place,  and  were  obliged  to 
return  into  the  basement  of  Mr.  J.  Schwager's 
house. 

"Meanwhile,  Rev.  Conrad  Fleischmann,  Pas- 
tor of  the  First  German  Church  in  Philadel- 
phia, had  come  down  to  Wilmington  several 
times  to  proclaim  the  w^ord  of  life  to  the  gath- 
ered company.     The  Lord  signally  blessed  the 

10 


110       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

labors  of  both  Mr.  J.  Grimmell  and  Rev.  C. 
Fleischmann,  so  that  at  the  end  of  nine  months 
there  were  seven  persons  hopefully  converted, 
who  were  baptized  on  the  second  day  of  March, 
1856,  by  Mr.  Fleischmann.  Two  weeks  later, 
five  others  professed  Christ  precious  to  their 
souls,  and  were  also  baptized  by  Mr.  Fleisch- 
mann. The  baptisms  took  place  in  the  Second 
Baptist  Church,  corner  Fourth  and  French 
Streets.  In  consequence  of  this  most  glorious 
beginning  the  Lord  touched  the  heart  of  a 
member  then  of  the  Second  Baptist  Church — 
Miss  Anne  Semple — to  assist  this  young  band 
of  German  Baptists  to  obtain  a  house  of  wor- 
ship for  them,  equal  to  their  pressing  demand. 
Miss  Semple  effected  the  purchase  of  the  old 
church,  corner  Fifth  and  Walnut  Streets,  for 
three  thousand  dollars,  of  which  sum  she  do- 
nated a  large  share.  Prior  to  the  purchase  they 
M-orshipped  in  her  parlor. 

"  After  the  purchase  of  the  building  it  was 
deemed  necessary  to  organize  a  church.  The 
organization  was  effected  on  the  17th  of  April, 
1856.  The  following  were  the  original  con- 
stituents of  the  First  German  Baptist  Church : 
Jeremiah    Grimmell  and  wife  Margaret,   Ed- 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  Ill 

ward  Austermiihl,  John  Miihlhauseu  and  wife 
Sophia,  John  Sch wager  and  wife  Elizabeth, 
Peter  Braunsteiii  and  wife  Susan,  Frederick 
Neutze,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Kaiser,  Mrs.  Theresa 
Hirzel,  Catherine  Braunstein.  Of  the  above 
there  are  still  eight  in  number  spared  to  the 
church  to  the  present  day.  The  church  had 
rather  a  slow  growth,  but  at  the  same  time  a 
healthful  one.  The  total  number  of  those  that 
united  with  the  church  diu'ing  the  entire  history 
is  one  hundred  and  sixty-four.  The  present 
membership  is  seventy -seven.  The  church- 
property  is  free  from  debt. 

"  Since  the  organization  there  have  been  six 
Pastors  laboring  with  the  church,  the  present 
one  included.  In  the  month  of  December, 
1856,  the  church  called  the  first  Pastor,  Rev. 
F.  A.  Bauer,  who  remained  with  the  church 
about  one  year  and  a  half  Their  second  Pas- 
tor was  Rev.  J.  C.  Haselhuhn,  now  editor  of 
the  religious  periodical  of  the  German  Baptists 
of  North  America,  called  Der  Sendhote,  who 
remained  with  the  church  a  little  over  three 
years.  Rev.  H.  Trumpp  became  their  third 
Pastor,  who  remained  with  them  a  little  over 
four  years.     Rev.  R.  Piepgrass  was  their  fourth 


112       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

Pastor,  and  remained  with  them  but  one  year. 
Rev.  J.  Fellman  became  their  fifth  Pastor,  and 
remained  with  them  about  five  years.  The 
sixth  one  is  their  present  Pastor,  Rev.  J.  M. 
Hoefflin,  who  settled  with  them,  November  1, 
1875." 

4.  Delaware  Avenue  Church,  Wil- 
mington, 1865. 

"  A  sister  of  the  Second  Baptist  Church,  from 
no  other  motive  than  to  advance  the  cause  of 
Christ  and  the  interest  of  the  denomination, 
and  knowing  the  need  of  another  church  in  a 
growing  part  of  the  city,  induced  fifteen  mem- 
bers to  unite  and  form  a  new  interest  remote 
from  the  Second  Church,  under  the  name  of 
the  Delaware  Avenue  Baptist  Church." 

They  were  dismissed  for  the  purpose  from 
the  Second  Church,  and  constituted  a  church 
in  May,  1865.  Their  names  were  as  follows: 
Anne  Semple,  Alexander  Bratton,  Mary  Slack, 
Mary  A.  Bratton,  Kate  Bratton,  Amanda  Brat- 
ton, Marion  Moore,  Mary  Smith,  Thomas  C. 
Kees,  W.  H.  Gregg,  Lucy  V.  Gregg,  John 
Bradford,  Rebecca  Bradford,  Eliza  Jane  Clo- 
ward,   Charles   Townsend.     The   organization 


DELAWARE  AVENUE  BAPTIST  CHURCH 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  113 

was  eifected  in  the  house  of  Miss  Anne  Semple, 
June  22,  when  and  where  Anne  Semple,  Mary 
Slack,  and  W.  H.  Gregg  were  appointed  a 
Committee  to  prepare  Articles  of  Faith  and 
a  Church  Covenant.  The  Committee  recom- 
mended the  Baptist  Church  Manual,  which  was 
adopted.  These  three  members  became  the 
largest  contributors  to  the  current  expenses 
and  building  fund  of  the  church,  the  contribu- 
tions of  Miss  Slack  amounting  in  the  aggregate 
to  ten  thousand  dollars.  The  church  was  rec- 
ognized as  a  regular  Baptist  Church  by  a 
Council  convened  in  the  Second  Church,  July 
6,  1865,  and  received  into  the  Philadelphia 
Association  the  same  year. 

After  their  organization  the  new  church  wor- 
shipped for  some  time  in  the  Wilmington  In- 
stitute (Scientific  Lecture-room),  and  held  its 
week-night  meetings  in  the  Phoenix  Engine- 
house,  the  latter  free  of  charge.  In  October, 
1865,  however,  they  leased  the  meeting-house 
of  the  old  First  Church.  The  sister  before 
named  as  originator  of  this  movement  pre- 
sented the  church  with  a  lot,  which  was  ex- 
changed for  the  one  on  the  corner  of  Dela- 
ware  Avenue  and    VYest  Street,    upon    which 

10*  H 


114       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

their  large  brownstone  house  of  worship  stands 
in  one  of  the  best  locations. 

Rev.  George  W.  Folwell  became  their  Pas- 
tor April  1,  1866.  Their  number  then  was 
fifty.  The  lecture- room  of  the  new  house  was 
dedicated  January  2,  1868,  and  the  audience- 
room,  October  13,  1870.  The  total  value  of 
their  church-property  is  estimated  at  sixty-five 
thousand  dollars.  They  are  still,  however, 
greatly  in  debt,  despite  their  heroic  struggles 
and  self-sacrifices ;  but  the  day  is  not  far  dis- 
tant, they  hope,  when  all  encumbrances  will  be 
removed.  A  corner  lot,  eighty  by  one  hundred 
feet,  was  given  them  by  Mr.  Philip  McDowel 
at  McDowelville,  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city, 
upon  which  they  have  recently  built  and  dedi- 
cated a  chapel,  and  in  which  they  maintain  a 
mission-school. 

Mr.  Folwell  resigned  October  1,  1874,  the 
church  numbering  when  he  left  them  two  hun- 
dred and  forty-six.  He  was  succeeded  by  the 
present  Pastor,  Rev.  Isaac  M.  Haldeman,  April 
11,  1875.  In  the  interval  the  pulpit  was  sup- 
plied by  Rev.  T.  A.  Gill,  U.  S.  N.  Under  Mr. 
Haldeman's  ministrations  the  membership  has 
been  increased  to  about  one  thousand.     Three 


RKV.  D.  B.  ITRINTOX. 


DELAWAEE   BAPTISTS.  115 

hundred  and  seventy-six  baptisms  were  reported 
in  1876,  aQd  one  hundred  and  three  in  1878. 
Mr.  S.  R.  Ball  informs  the  writer  that  the 
seating  capacity  of  the  meeting-house  has  been 
increased  to  twelve  hundred,  and  that  it  is 
almost  always  full. 

5.  Plymouth  Church,  1867-73. 
In  December,  1866,  Rev.  D.  B.  Purinton 
came  to  Dover  under  the  auspices  of  the  Amer- 
ican Baptist  Home  Mission  Society.  He  found 
several  Baptist  families  residing  in  Plymouth, 
ten  miles  south  of  Dover.  In  February,  1867, 
he  began  preaching  on  Tuesday  evenings  once 
in  two  weeks,  until  the  following  April,  when 
he  commenced  services  on  Lord's  Day  afternoon 
of  every  other  week — in  the  Congregational 
house  of  worship  generally,  but  sometimes  in 
private  houses.  Several  more  Baptist  families 
having  moved  into  the  vicinity  during  the 
spring,  a  church  was  formed  May  29,  1867, 
recognized  September  24,  1867,  and  admitted 
into  the  Philadelphia  Association,  October  2  of 
the  same  year.  Thirty  members  constituted 
the  church,  all  of  them  from  the  Northern  or 
Eastern  States.     Among  them  were  Rev.  E.  P. 


116       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

Salisbury  and  family,  and  Deacon  F.  C.  Mack 
and  his  family. 

Mr.  Piirinton  preached  for  them  till  March, 
1868,  when  he  removed  to  New  York  State, 
but,  returning  in  May,  became  Pastor  of  the 
church  in  June,  preaching  for  them  on  Lord's 
Day,  and  during  the  week  laboring  in  Lower 
Delaw^are  and  Maryland.  He  resigned,  how- 
ever, in  February,  1871,  to  take  pastoral  charge 
of  a  church  in  New  York.  He  finally  returned 
to  Delaware,  where  he  died  in  1876.  Deacon 
Mack  writes  of  him  :  "  To  the  blessing  of  God 
upon  his  labors  is  due  the  re-establishment  of 
Baptist  churches  in  this  part  of  Delaware.  He 
labored,  and  other  men  entered  upon  his  la- 
bors." He  was  a  brother-in-law  of  Rev.  A. 
B.  Earle,  D.  D.,  the  evangelist. 

Rev.  J.  M.  Haswell,  the  missionary,  -while 
residing  in  the  State  preached  for  them  occa- 
sionally, as  did  also  Kev.  Dr.  Isaac  Cole,  but 
sometimes,  when  they  had  no  preaching,  one 
of  the  members  read  a  sermon,  generally  from 
the  Examine?',  to  those  assembled.  The  church 
being  weakened  by  a  number  of  the  members 
returning  to  their  former  homes,  and  being 
unable,  with  no  house,  to  have  regular  times 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  117 

of  worship,  disbanded  March  22,  1873,  to 
unite  with  others  in  forming  the  church  at 
Magnolia.* 

For  most  of  the  above  facts  I  am  indebted  to 
Mr.  E.  H.  Salisbury,  son  of  Rev.  E.  P.  Salis- 
bury, who,  with  his  widowed  mother,  resides 
in  the  State. 

6.  Lincoln  Church,  1869-73. 
A  meeting  was  held  in  May,  1867,  at  Lin- 
coln, near  Milford,  in  the  house  of  Mr.  A  M. 
Webb,  to  organize  a  Baptist  Church.  Sixteen 
persons  out  of  twenty-three  Baptists  residing 
within  eight  miles  of  the  place  were  present. 
Rev.  W.  H.  Spencer  and  Rev.  W.  H.  H.  Dwy- 
er,  as  well  as  Mr.  Webb,  greatly  favored  the 
enterprise,  but  the  project  failed.  Shortly  af- 
terward Miss  E.  C.  Parham  came  into  the 
neighborhood  from  Milestown,  Pennsylvania, 
and,  being  a  strong  Baptist,  gave  new  hope  to 
the  cause.  With  the  assistance  of  Rev.  D.  B. 
Purinton  a  church  was  finally  organized,  April 

*  The  reference  to  the  union  of  the  Plymouth  and  Lin- 
coln churches  with  those  of  Milford  and  Magnolia  respec- 
tively, found  in  a  note  on  p.  13  of  Philadelphia  Associa- 
tion Minutes,  1873,  is  just  the  reverse  of  what  was  the 


118       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

28,  1869,  with  twenty-one  members.  W.  C. 
Coles  was  elected  Deacon,  and  A.  M.  Webb, 
Clerk.  Rev.  Messrs.  Flippo  and  Purinton 
preached  for  them  at  times.  A  Council,  com- 
posed of  Rev.  Messrs.  Marsh,  Folwell,  Flippo, 
Purinton,  and  Hope,  and  other  messengers  of 
the  churches,  was  organized,  with  Rev.  D.  B. 
Purinton  as  Moderator  and  Alfred  Gawthrop 
as  Clerk,  and  recognized  them  as  a  church. 
Rev.  W.  H.  Spencer  became  Pastor,  and  upon 
his  death  A.  M.  Webb  was  licensed  to  preach, 
and  continued  to  fill  the  pulpit  until  the  church 
disbanded  to  unite  with  others  in  the  formation 
of  the  Milford  Church  in  1873. 

7.  ZioN  Church,  1871. 
While  engaged  in  his  work  of  General  Mis- 
sionary, Mr.  Flippo  was  invited  to  preach  at 
Vernon,  Kent  County,  where  was  a  congrega- 
tion of  Independent  Methodists  (Methodist 
Protestants).  He  first  complied  with  their 
request  December,  1870.  They  soon  sent  for 
him  again,  and  invited  him  to  hold  a  protract- 
ed meeting,  which  he  did,  preaching  to  sinners 
every  night.  This  was  in  the  spring  of  1871. 
In  the  midst  of  the  meeting  they  apjiroached 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  119 

him  with  the  request  to  preach  a  series  of  ser- 
mons on  the  Principles  and  Practices  of  Bap- 
tists. They  were  inquiring,  and  wanted  to 
know  who  we  were  and  where  we  came  from. 
He  agreed  to  do  so,  on  condition  that  they 
would  follow  him  through  "with  the  New 
Testament  in  hand,  and  not  get  mad.''  This 
they  consented  to  do.  He  commenced  a  series 
of  lectures  upon  the  doctrines  we  hold.  Be- 
fore he  was  through  with  the  lectures  every 
member,  Pastor  and  all,  was  ready  to  be  bap- 
tized, and  applied  for  baptism ;  and  the  whole 
church  was  baptized.  Rev.  Richard  H.  Mer- 
riken,  since  called  to  his  reward,  was  then  Pas- 
tor. The  baptism  occurred  on  a  stormy  day, 
March  12,  1871. 

On  the  last  Lord's  Day  in  April,  1871,  the 
church  was  organized  and  recognized.  Rev.  J. 
M.  Hope,  Rev.  W.  H.  Spencer,  and  Rev.  O. 
F.  Flippo  officiating.  On  the  same  day  Rev. 
R.  H.  Merriken  was  ordained  to  the  work  of 
the  Baptist  ministry.  The  little  band  started 
a  subscription  for  a  new  house  of  worship, 
and  in  November  of  the  same  year  dedi- 
cated, nearly  free  of  debt,  a  beautiful  Gothic 
chapel.     Mr.  Flippo  preached   the  dedicatory 


120       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

sermon.  This  church  is  called  the  Zion  Bap- 
tist Church.  They  have  received  large  acces- 
sions since,  and  have  always  been  faithful  to 
the  truth.  The  members  of  this  church,  for 
the  most  part,  devote  one-tenth  of  all  their 
products  annually  to  the  Lord.  They  have  a 
flourishing  Sunday-school,  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  W.  W.  Seeders. 

Rev.  M.  Heath  and  Rev.  J.  M.  Hope  were 
co-Pastors  of  this  church  for  some  time.  The 
present  Pastor  is  Rev.  George  Bradford,  who 
is  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  came  into  the  State 
in  1869  to  supply  the  Dover  Church.  Since 
that  time  he  has  devoted  himself  mainly  to 
self-denying  labor  in  needy  Delaware.  Mr. 
Bradford  mentions  Deacon  Andrew  Burnham, 
formerly  of  Vermont,  as  one  to  whose  efforts 
in  a  great  measure,  and  in  connection  with  Mr. 
Flippo,  the  church  owes  its  existence. 

8.  Wyoming  Church,  1872. 
The  Wyoming  Church  was  organized  in 
1872.  While  Pastor  at  Dover,  Mr.  Flippo 
was  invited  to  preach  in  the  chapel  of  the  In- 
stitute at  Wyoming.  A  revival  broke  out  in 
the  school,  and  a  number  were  converted.   Sev- 


KEV.  .lAMKS  W.  HOFK. 


DELAWAEE   BAPTISTS.  121 

eral  persons  living  in  Wyoming  were  baptized, 
and  united  with  the  Dover  Baptist  Church,  and 
others  were  hesitating  at  the  water,  and  efforts 
were  about  to  be  made  to  build  a  meeting- 
house. It  was  then  that  the  Trustees  ap- 
proached with  "the  offer  to  sell  the  Institute. 
It  was  purchased,  and  in  April,  1872,  the 
church  was  formed,  letters  being  granted  by 
the  Dover  Church  for  that  purpose.  Eev. 
James  Waters,  Rev.  G.  W.  Folwell,  Rev.  A. 
F.  Shanafelt,  Rev.  E.  E.  Maryatt,  Rev.  J.  M. 
Hope,  and  Rev.  O.  F.  Flippo  were  present. 
The  chapel  in  the  Institute  building  was  dedi- 
cated as  a  house  of  worship.  Rev.  J.  S.  Backus, 
D.  D.,  of  New  York,  preaching  the  sermon. 
Rev.  M.  Heath  and  Rev.  J.  M.  Hope  were  co- 
Pastors  of  this,  in  connection  with  the  Zion 
Church.  Rev.  George  Bradford  now  serves  as 
Pastor  for  both  of  these  churches.  He  is  as- 
sisted by  Messrs.  Miles  S.  Read,  William  S. 
Read,  and  other  students  from  Crozer  Theolog- 
ical Seminary,  Chester,  Pennsylvania. 

9.  Magnolia  Church,  1873. 
In  March,  1872,  Mr.  Flippo  was  invited  to 
preach  in  the  village  of  Magnolia.     He  intro- 


122       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

duced  Baptist  principles  in  the  first  sermon  in 
love  and  kindness.  They  heard  the  word  glad- 
ly, and  from  time  to  time  believers  were  bap- 
tized. The  Plymouth  Church  had  been  formed 
in  1867,  but,  having  no  house  of  worship,  dis- 
banded, and  united  with  the  baptized  believers 
at  Magnolia  in  the  organization  of  the  Mag- 
nolia Church.  On  the  3d  of  April  the  church 
was  recognized,  and  the  corner-stone  of  a  new 
chapel  was  laid  by  Mr.  Flippo.  Rev.  M. 
Heath  was  the  first  Pastor  of  this  churcli,  in 
which  relation  he  continued  for  two  years.  Rev. 
J.  M.  Hope  preached  alternately  with  him,  and 
is  now  sole  Pastor  of  the  church. 

10.  MiLFORD  Church,  1873. 
A  church  wa.s  organized  at  Milford,  with 
nineteen  members,  June  14,  1873.  Some  of 
these  were  from  the  disbanded  Lincoln  Church. 
The  church  was  organized  in  the  old  Methodist 
meeting-house,  and  was  formed  mainly  through 
the  efforts  of  Rev.  Messrs.  J.  M.  Hope,  Shaffer, 
and  A.  M.  Webb.  The  house  of  worship  at 
Milford  was  dedicated  on  Thanksgiving  Day, 
1875.  Rev.  Thomas  Swaim,  D.  D.,  preached 
in  the  morning,  and  Rev.  J.  M.  Hope  at  night. 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  123 

Money  enough  was  then  raised  to  leave  but  a 
small  indebtedness  on  the  house,  which  is  a 
substantial  one  and  in  a  good  location. 

11.  Elm  Street,  1873-76. 

July  30,  1873,  was  organized  the  Elm  Street 
Church,  Wilmington.  E-ev.  N.  C.  Naylor,  who 
had  labored  with  them  when  a  mission,  became 
their  Pastor.  This  interest  grew  out  of  the 
Baptist  City  Mission.  The  only  other  Pastor 
this  church  had  was  Rev.  R.  E.  Bartlett,  who 
was  called  to  the  ministry  and  ordained  there. 
This  church  disbanded  December,  1876. 

12.  Shiloh  Church,  1876. 

The  first  African  Baptist  Church  in  Dela- 
ware was  formed  in  Wilmington  in  the  Cen- 
tennial year  (1876),  under  the  name  of  Shiloh, 
with  twenty-one  members.  This  church  origi- 
nated from  a  Sunday-school  started  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  colored  people  by  members  of  the 
First  Church,  after  its  return  to  the  Philadel- 
phia Association,  and  during  the  pastorate  of 
Rev.  Thomas  M.  Eastwood.  Most  of  the  con- 
stituent members  were  either  baptized  by  him, 
or  received  by  letter  or  experience  into  the  First 


124       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

Church,  with  the  understanding  that  as  soon 
as  a  sufficient  number  could  be  brought  to- 
gether a  colored  Baptist  Church  should  be 
formed.  They  worship  in  a  rented  hall,  but 
have  a  lot  in  a  good  location,  on  which  they 
hope  soon  to  build.  They  have  a  membership 
of  eighty,  and  a  congregation  filling  the  room 
in  which  they  meet,  and  greatly  need  a  house 
of  their  own.  Rev.  B.  T.  Moore,  a  graduate 
of  the  AYayland  Seminary,  Washington,  D.  C, 
is  Pastor ;  they  have  had  no  other. 

13.  New  Castle  Church,  1876. 
In  the  same  year  (1876)  the  New  Castle 
Church,  composed  of  fourteen  members,  was 
received  into  the  fellowship  of  Baptist  churches. 
It  was  constituted  September  30,  recognized 
February  13,  1877,  and  received  into  the  Phila- 
delphia Association  in  October,  1877.  It  origi- 
nated through  the  labors  of  Rev.  B.  MacMackin 
and  Rev.  William  H.  Young,  then  students  at 
Crozer  Theological  Seminary.  It  was  during 
the  Senior  year  that  the  needs  of  Delaware 
pressed  upon  the  former.  Failing  to  start  others 
in  the  work,  he  and  Mr.  Young  agreed  to  do 
what  they  could  themselves.     In  1875,  they 


^"'"lEfi  ,0 


NEWCASTLE  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  125 

decided  to  begin  work  at  New  Castle,  as  the 
place  most  accessible  and  needy.  They  knew 
nobody  there,  nor  did  they  think  there  were 
any  Baptists  in  the  town.  They  resolved  to 
establish  a  Bible  school,  but  the  court-house 
was  the  only  place  suitable.  The  chief-justice 
positively  refused  its  use  for  religious  services, 
but  finally  it  was  secured  without  his  know- 
ledge. Then  friends  were  raised  up  for  them, 
and  Sunday  afternoon,  January  17,  1876,  the 
Bible  school  was  started,  and  soon  there  were 
two  hundred  adults  collected  regularly  for  the 
study  of  God's  word.  The  school-service  was 
followed  by  a  sermon;  some  Baptists,  pre- 
viously unknown  to  each  other  as  such,  were 
collected;  several  others  were  converted  and 
baptized ;  and  a  Baptist  Church  was  constitu- 
ted September  30,  1876,  composed  of  fourteen 
members. 

The  work  was  supported  entirely  by  the 
private  means  of  these  two  brethren,  excepting 
twenty-five  dollars  given  toward  an  organ  by 
three  friends,  what  was  taken  up  in  collections, 
and  a  present  of  twenty-five  Bibles  from  Mrs. 
John  P.  Crozer.  "They  found,  however,  a  lady 
— Mrs.  Jonathan  George,  living  just  outside 
11  * 


126       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

the  town — who  was  noted  for  her  loyalty  to  our 
denomination  and  her  tireless  energy  in  all  she 
did.  For  years  she  had  been  trying  to  urge 
some  one  to  begin  work  in  New  Castle,  and 
thus  she  gladly  joined  with  these  brethren  in  a 
way  that  was  as  effectual  as  it  was  gratifying. 
In  fact,  the  interest  at  ISTew  Castle  owes  its  ex- 
istence greatly  to  the  timely  assistance  of  this 
earnest  lady." 

"In  1877,  Mr.  MacMackin  became  Pastor 
of  the  church.  In  April,  1878,  the  corner- 
stone of  their  church-building  was  laid.  Since 
then,"  continues  Mr.  Young,  "Brother  Mac- 
Mackin has  been  doing  yeoman  service  in 
building  the  church-edifice,"  and  "has  been 
Pastor  and  preacher  of  the  church,  as  well  as 
architect,  contractor,  builder,  and  financial 
agent  of  the  edifice."  The  house,  a  beautiful 
Gothic  of  extra  fine  brick,  capable  of  seating 
three  hundred  persons,  with  slate  roof,  five 
stained  windows,  and  neat  belfry,  costing,  with 
the  lot,  over  six  thousand  dollars,  was  dedi- 
cated, free  of  debt,  December  19,  1879.  The 
membership  is  now  sixty -four.  Among  the 
noble  contributors  to  the  building  fund,  living 
out  of  the  State  and  mentioned  by  Mr.  Mac- 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  127 

Mackin,  are  Messrs.  W.  E.  Garrett,  BeDJamin 
Gartside,  Sr.,  Samuel  A.  Crozer,  Callaghan 
Bros.,  J.  J.  Stadiger,  and  Mrs.  J.  P.  Crozer. 

14.  Bethany  Church,  1878. 
July  2,  1868,  a  motion  was  passed  at  a  reg- 
ular meeting  of  "  The  Baptist  Church "  of 
Wilmington  (the  old  First)  to  receive  members 
by  letter  from  other  Baptist  churches.  A  sim- 
ilar motion  had  been  passed  some  years  before, 
and  rescinded  by  them.  At  this  meeting — in 
1868  —  and  immediately  after  the  passage  of 
the  resolution,  there  were  received,  from  Dela- 
ware Avenue  Church,  William  H.  Gregg,  Lucy 
Y.  Gregg,  and  John  Galbraith.  Messrs.  Gregg 
and  Galbraith  were  appointed  a  Committee  to 
secure  from  the  Presbyterians,  who  had  leased 
the  house  on  King  Street,  the  use  of  it  for  Sun- 
day-school and  prayer-meeting  purposes.  Be- 
ing refused,  a  Sunday-school  was  started  in  the 
second  story  of  the  Friendship  Engine-house, 
which  at  the  end  of  the  year — the  lease  of  the 
Presbyterians  having  expired — was  removed  to 
the  church,  and  met  with  large  success.  A 
prayer -meeting  was  also  held,  and  as  there 
were  now  constant  accessions   by   letter,   new 


128       THE  EAELY  AND  LATER 

life  and  activity  were  infused.  In  October, 
1871,  the  church  made  application  to  the  Phil- 
adelphia Association  to  be  reinstated  in  that 
body,  and  was  received  and  restored  to  its  for- 
mer place  on  the  roll,  with  the  date  1785  as 
that  of  its  organization. 

On  April  13,  1871,  Rev.  E.  E.  Maryatt,  a 
graduate  of  Crozer  Theological  Seminary,  was 
chosen  Pastor.  He  entered  upon  his  work 
September  1st,  and  was  ordained  on  the  28tli 
of  the  same  month.  He  served  the  church 
until  August  22,  1873,  when  he  resigned,  and 
left  with  the  high  regard  of  all.  Regular  ser- 
vices were  then  conducted  by  students  from 
Crozer  Seminary  and  others.  On  April  21, 
1874,  Rev.  Thomas  M.  Eastwood  was  elected 
Pastor,  and  ordained  June  11th  of  the  same 
year.  He  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
graduated  at  the  University  at  Lewisburg,  and 
afterward  studied  at  the  Crozer  Theological 
Seminary.  He  began  to  minister  statedly  to 
the  church.  May  1,  1874. 

In  December,  1876,  the  First  Church  emi- 
grated from  its  old  field  to  that  which  had  been 
occupied  by  the  Elm  Street  Baptist  Church,  in 
the  south-western  part  of  the  city.     The  Elm 


BEV.  THOMAS  M.  EASTWOOD. 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  129 

Street  Church  disbanded  because  unable  to 
maintain  itself,  and  united  with  the  First 
Church,  which  came  to  cultivate  this  import- 
ant field  and  occupy  the  house.  The  chapel 
and  lot,  however,  belonged  to  the  Baptist  City 
Mission,  composed  of  all  the  Baptist  churches 
of  the  city.  At  a  regular  meeting  of  the  "  Mis- 
sion," held  October  14,  1878,  it  was  voted  to 
present  "  to  the  brethren  now  worshipping  in 
Elm  Street  Chapel,  under  whatever  name  they 
may  hereafter  assume,"  the  entire  property 
owned  by  it  at  the  corner  of  Elm  and  Jackson 
Streets.  After  being  in  Elm  Street  Chapel 
for  about  two  years,  it  was  decided  to  disband 
the  organization  known  as  the  First  Baptist 
Church,  and  to  reorganize  under  another  name. 
The  church  disbanded,  and  the  Bethany  Baptist 
Church  was  formed,  November  7,  1878,  with 
Rev.  Thomas  M.  Eastwood  as  Pastor,  and  was 
recognized  by  a  Council,  January  2,  1879.  At 
present  the  church  is  in  a  growing  condition, 
with  a  membership  of  one  hundred  and  ten 
and  a  Sunday-school  of  two  hundred  and  sev- 
enty scholars. 

I 


130       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

15.  The  Wilmington  Baptist  City  Mis- 
sion, 1870. 
The  "  City  Mission  "  referred  to  was  organ- 
ized, upon  the  Newark  (N.  J.)  plan,  in  1870, 
February  21st,  in  the  Delaware  Avenue  Church. 
Washington  Jones  was  chosen  President;  Frank 
Braunstein,  Vice-President ;  Maury  James,  Sec- 
retary ;  and  William  H.  Gregg,  Treasurer.  The 
"  Mission  "  is  composed  of  the  Pastors  and  dele- 
gates of  the  Wilmington  Baptist  churches.  It 
succeeded  in  buying  a  large  and  eligible  lot  on 
the  corner  of  Elm  and  Jackson  Streets  for  eigli- 
teen  hundred  dollars,  of  which  eight  hundred 
were  paid,  and  the  remainder  left  upon  mortgage. 
A  chapel  costing  three  thousand  two  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  was  soon  after  erected,  and  finally 
paid  for.  This  property  was  used  by  the  Elm 
Street  Church  until  the  organization  of  the 
Bethany  Church,  when  it  was  deeded  to  the 
latter. 

16.  The  Wyoming  Institute,  1869. 
In  1869,  the  Baptists  purchased,  through  the 
agency  of  Rev.  O.  F.  Flippo,  the  Wyoming 
Institute,  at  Wyoming,  three  miles  south   of 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  131 

Dover.  The  building  was  furnished  for  a 
school  of  over  one  hundred,  accommodated 
with  a  chapel,  and  surrounded  by  four  acres 
of  ground.  A  new  and  liberal  charter  was  ob- 
tained in  1875,  since  which  time  the  Institute 
has  had  its  annual  graduating  classes.  It  is 
for  both  sexes.  There  are  two  departments — 
the  Preparatory,  for  common  branches,  and  the 
Seminary  course  of  three  years,  for  graduation. 
For  several  years  past  it  has  enjoyed  a  high 
degree  of  prosperity,  at  times  reaching  the  ut- 
most limits  of  its  accommodations. 

The  Principal,  Rev.  M.  Heath,  A.  M.,  who 
has  held  the  position  the  past  seven  years,  is  a 
native  of  New  Jersey  and  a  graduate  of  Madi- 
son University,  New  York.  For  the  past 
fifteen  years  he  has  been  successfully  connected 
with  educational  interests.  It  is  with  gratifica- 
tion we  hear  of  the  success  of  this  institution, 
and  trust  that  the  Baptists  of  Delaware  will 
show  their  appreciation  of  the  privilege  it 
affords,  and  support  it  by  their  prayers,  their 
means,  and  by  sending  their  sons  and  daughters 
to  Wyoming  to  be  educated. 


132  the  early  and  later 

17.  The  Delaware  Baptist  Union,  1878. 

The  Baptist  Visitor  having  advocated,  espe- 
cially in  September,  1869,  the  consolidation  of 
the  Baptists  in  the  State,  a  Committee  met  in 
the  Baptist  Church,  Dover,  November  3,  1870, 
which  resulted  in  the  drafting  of  a  Constitution 
and  By-Laws  for  a  Delaware  Association.  This 
Committee  consisted  of  Rev.  W.  H.  H.  Marsh, 
E.  W.  Dickinson,  D.  D.,  Rev.  G.  W.  Folwell, 
Rev.  O.  F.  Flippo,  and  R.  AV.  L.  Probasco. 
They  failed  to  get  their  Association,  for  "  love 
for  the  old  Philadelphia  was  too  strong/'  but 
eventually  the  ^^  Delaware  Baptist  Missionary 
Union  "  was  formed  at  Wyoming,  June  25, 
1874.  A  large  meeting  at  Dover  in  September 
of  the  same  year  confirmed  the  action.  This 
body  met  annually  in  September,  but  quarter- 
ly meetings  were  provided  for,  to  be  conducted 
by  committees  appointed  at  the  annual  meeting. 

The  object  of  this  organization  was  "  to  cul- 
tivate the  destitute  field,  and  to  encourage  the 
feeble  churches  within  its  bounds."  It  was  felt, 
however,  that  something  more  was  needed,  and 
brethren  talked  again  of  forming  an  Associa- 
tion for  Delaware.     But  separation  and  change 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  133 

of  name  would  hardly  supply  the  lack  of  num- 
bers and  strength. 

In  pursuance  of  a  call  signed  by  ministers 
in  Delaware  and  Pennsylvania,  a  Council  con- 
vened in  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Chester, 
Pennsylvania,  November  20,  1876,  to  ^^  con- 
sider '^  "  the  expediency  "  of  forming  a  ^'  South 
Philadelphia  Association,^^  to  be  composed  of 
such  of  the  Baptist  churches  of  Delaware  State, 
Delaware  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  Philadel- 
phia as  favored  the  movement.  The  Council 
met,  and  was  well  attended.  Rev.  J.  Wheaton 
Smith,  D.  D.,  was  chosen  Moderator,  and  Rev. 
R.  B.  Cook,  Clerk. 

This  Council  has  been  regarded  as  a  failure  by 
some,  but  it  did  not  fail  to  consider  the  subject 
before  it;  and  more,  it  demonstrated  several 
things:  That  Philadelphia  churches  were  not 
as  ready  to  break  from  their  present  connec- 
tions as  some  thought ;  that  union  of  Delaware 
County  and  Delaware  State  churches  with  those 
of  Philadelphia  in  a  new  Association  was  neith- 
er possible  nor  desirable ;  that  no  union,  even 
among  the  churches  of  Delaware  County  and 
State,  could  be  effected  upon  the  basis  of  sep- 
aration   from    the    Philadelphia    Association. 

12 


134       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

Moreover,  the  Council  appointed  a  Committee, 
consisting  of  Rev.  R.  B.  Cook,  H.  G.  Weston, 
D.  D.,  J.  Wheaton  Smith,  D.  D.,  Rev.  P.  L. 
Jones,  and  Rev.  Z.  T.  Dowen,  to  work  up  the 
matter  and  to  call  another  Council  at  the  prop- 
er time  and  place.  There  were  members  of  the 
Committee  and  others  who  were  not  idle  in  the 
matter.  The  protracted  illness  of  the  Cliair- 
man  caused  delay,  but  finally  a  meeting  of  the 
then  existing  "Delaware  Baptist  Missionary 
Union  "  was  arranged  for,  by  Brethren  East- 
wood, MacMackin,  Parker,  and  the  Chairman 
of  the  Committee,  to  meet  at  Dover  in  May, 
1878. 

The  meeting  was  largely  attended  by  the 
brethren  from  Wilmington.  It  was  agreed 
upon  to  reorganize  and  enlarge  at  the  next 
meeting,  and  to  invite  the  churches  of  Dela- 
ware County,  Pennsylvania,  and  the  Faculty 
of  Crozer  Theological  Seminary  to  meet  with 
them  and  unite  in  forming  the  new  organiza- 
tion. The  meeting  was  called,  and  held  Sep- 
tember 30  and  October  1,  1878,  in  the  Second 
Baptist  Church,  Wilmington.  President  H. 
G.  Weston,  D.  D.,  preached  the  opening  ser- 
mon.    Rev.  Thomas  M.  Eastwood  was  chosen 


HENRY  G.  MESTON,  D.  D. 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  135 

Moderatorj  and  Rev.  B.  G.  Parker,  Clerk,  both 
2:tro  tern.  A  Committee,  consisting  of  Rev.  R. 
B.  Cook,  Rev.  A.  G.  Thomas,  Rev.  Alexander 
McArthur,  Rev.  H.  B.  Harper,  Rev.  J.  R. 
Downer,  and  G.  D.  B.  Pepper,  D.  D.,  was  ap- 
pointed to  prepare  a  plan  of  organization.  Tiie 
formation  of  a  Union  was  recommended,  and  a 
plan  of  organization  proposed.  The  report 
was  adopted,  and  the  "  Delaware  Baptist 
Union '^  was  organized  October  1,  1878. 

The  '^  Union  "  was  to  be  composed  of  such 
churches  of  Delaware  State,  Delaware  County, 
Pennsylvania,  and  vicinity  as  were  then  pres- 
ent by  delegates  or  Pastor,  and  such  as  should 
afterward  be  admitted,  upon  application,  by  a 
two-thirds  vote.  Each  church  is  entitled  to 
appoint  five  delegates,  including  the  Pastor; 
and  the  time  of  meeting,  the  third  Tuesday  and 
Wednesday  in  November  and  the  second  Tues- 
day and  Wednesday  in  May.  In  November, 
is  the  Annual  Meeting,  at  which  officers  are 
elected  for  the  year. 

The  object  of  the  "Union"  is  the  promotion 
of  fraternity  among  the  churches  united,  and 
the  evangelization  of  the  field.  It  is  required 
that  ample  time  be  given,  at  each  meeting,  for 


136       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

verbal  reports  from  the  churches  and  for  the 
consideratiou  of  Home  and  Foreign  Missions, 
Education,  Bible,  Publication,  and  Sunday- 
school  work.  Committees  are  provided  for 
on  —  Place  of  Meeting;  Religious  Exercises; 
Pastoral  Interchange  in  Revival  Work;  The 
Spiritual  Condition  of  the  Field — its  want  and 
supply ;  and  Sunday-schools.  The  two  latter 
were  added  at  a  subsequent  meeting. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  Union,  Rev. 
T.  M.  Eastwood  was  elected  Moderator,  Rev. 
B.  G.  Parker,  Clerk,  and  Deacon  George  Parris, 
Treasurer.  A  meeting  was  appointed  for  an 
early  day  at  Chester,  Pennsylvania,  where  the 
Union  met  with  the  First  Church,  Rev.  A.  G. 
Thomas,  Pastor,  November  19  and  20,  1878. 
Another  was  held  with  the  church  at  Milford, 
Delaware,  May  13  and  14, 1879,  which  proved  a 
most  successful  meeting  for  members,  and  inter- 
est and  efPect  upon  the  community  and  church. 
There  were  sixty  delegates  present,  who  were 
warmly  welcomed  by  the  Pastor,  Rev.  W.  H. 
Young,  by  the  church,  and  by  the  people  at 
large.  The  November  meeting  for  1879  was 
held  with  the  church  at  Media,  Pennsylvania, 
Rev.  T.  G.  Wright,  Pastor,  where  the  Union 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  137 

also  met  with  a  cordial  receptioo.  The  meeting 
in  May,  1880,  was  at  Dover,  Delaware,  and 
was  largely  attended,  as  well  as  profitable  and 
pleasant. 

Through  the  efforts  of  the  '^  Union,"  pastoi's 
and  students  have  gone  to  various  points  to 
labor,  and  their  expenses  have  been  paid ;  and 
a  Colporteur  and  Sunday-school  Missionary, 
Rev.  Wm.  H.  Young,  appointed  by  the  Baptist 
Publication  Society  to  labor  in  Delaware.  Mr. 
Young  has  resigned  on  account  of  ill-health, 
and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  his  successor  will 
soon  be  named. 

Some  of  the  prominent  laymen  connected 
with  the  Union  are — James  Irving,  YYilliam 
H.  Gregg,  Washington  Jones,  Benj.  Gartside, 
Sr.,  Dr.  J.  B.  Weston,  George  Parris,  P.  Miles 
Frame,  F.  C.  Mack,  G.  E.  Heyburn,  William 
Bussell,  J.  M.  Tage,  A.  B.  Stewart,  E.  Auis- 
worth.  Deacon  Duffee,  J.  H.  George,  Elnathan 
Smith,  E.  H.  Salisbury,  Absalom  H.  Carey, 
Harry  Emmons,  G.  P.  Barker,  and  Dr.  Fred- 
eric Owens.  And  among  those,  besides  the  pas- 
tors of  the  churches,  who  have  already  partici- 
pated by  sermon,  paper,  or  address  in  the  meet- 
ings of  this  youthful   organization,  and  thus 

12  « 


138       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

helped  make  them  pleasant  and  profitable  are — 
President  H.  G.  Weston,  D.  D.,  William  Catli- 
cart,  D.  D.,  Prof.  G.  R.  Bliss,  D.  D.,  J.  M.  Pen- 
dleton, D.  D.,  Prof.  J.  C.  Long,  D.  D.,  Eev. 
G.  W.  Folwell,  Samuel  A.  Crozer,  Esq.,  Wash- 
ington Jones,  Esq.,  Alfred  Gawthrop,  Esq.,  H. 
L.  Wavland,  D.  D.,  Prof.  G.  D.  B.  Pepper,  D.  D., 
Rev.  Alexander  McArthur,  Rev.  Prof.  J.  R. 
Downer,  Rev.  Prof.  M.  Heath,  Rev.  P.  S.  Vree- 
land.  Rev.  Dr.  S.  Dyer,  E.  F.  James,  Rev.  Owen 
James,  Thomas  Swaim,  D.  D.,  Rev.  David 
Spencer,  and  G.  J.  Johnson,  D.  D. 

The  ladies  also  have  had  their  meetings  in 
behalf  of  Missions,  in  connection  with  those 
of  the  "  Union/'  Mrs.  Dr.  G.  D.  B.  Pepper, 
Mrs.  S.  M.  Miller,  Mrs.  George  A.  LeMaistre, 
Mrs.  P.  G.  McCollin,  Mrs.  M.  J.  Knowlton, 
and  others  have  by  their  presence  and  their  ad- 
dresses contributed  very  greatly  to  deepen  the 
interest  of  Christian  women  in  the  work  for 
Missions. 

The  "  Union  "  consists  of  eight  churches  in 
Pennsylvania  and  eleven  in  Delaware,  with  a 
total  membership  in  the  nineteen  churches  of 
about  three  thousand.  The  following  is  a  list 
of  the  Pastors  and  churches : 


GEO.  D.  B.  PEPPER,  D.  D. 


delaware  baptists.  139 

In  Pennsylvania. 
Brandywine,  Rev.  J.  Wesley  Sullivan.  Mar- 
cus Hook,  Rev.  C.  J.  W.  Bishop.  Ridley,  Rev. 
Charles  M.  Deitz.  First  Chester,  Rev.  A.  G. 
Thomas.  South  Chester,  Rev.  H.  B.  Harper. 
Media,  Rev.  T.  G.  Wright.  North  Chester,  Rev. 
John   Brooks.      Village   Green,   Rev.   Miller 

Jones. 

In  Delaware. 

Second  Wilmington,  Rev.  R.  B.  Cook.  Dover, 
Rev.  B.  G.  Parker.  First  German,  Wilmington, 
Rev.  J.  M.  Hoefflin.  Delaware  Avenue,  Rev. 
J.  M.  Haldeman.  Zion,  Vernon,  Rev.  George 
Bradford.  Wyoming,  Rev.  George  Bradford. 
Magnolia,  Rev.  James  M.    Hope.      Milford, 

Rev.  .     Shiloh,  Wilmington,  Rev.  B. 

T.  Moore.  New  Castle,  Rev.  B.  MacMackin. 
Bethany,  Wilmington,  Rev.  T.  M.  Eastwood. 

A  list  of  licentiates  and  ministers,  not  Pas- 
tors and  students  for  the  ministry,  connected 
with  the  churches  of  the  Union,  should  not  be 
omitted.  The  following  are  the  names  of  those 
connected  with  the  Union,  and  not  mentioned 
elsewhere  in  this  work :  Ministers — Rev.  H. 
Steelman,  Rev.  J.  S.  Read,  Rev.  Walter  Bush- 


140  THE    EARLY    A>'D    LATER 

ell  (Missionary;,  Rev.  E.  Austermiihl ;  aud 
Licentiates  —  F.  G.  McKeever,  George  Street, 
Walter  Kalley,  C.  F.  Williams,  Eugene  Ma- 
ginn,  Reuben  Blakely,  and  C.  C.  Earle. 

The  present  (1880)  officers  of  the  Union  are 
— Rev.  T.  M.  Eastwood,  Moderator ;  Rev.  H. 
B.  Harper,  Clerk ;  and  Deacon  George  Parris, 
Treasurer.  Aud  the  churches  belonging  to  the 
Delaware  Union  have  not  separated  from  tlie 
Philadelphia  Association.  All  the  Baptist 
churches  in  Delaware,  excepting  what  are 
known  as  Old  School  Baptists,  and  all  within 
the  bounds  of  the  Delaware  Union,  are  con- 
nected with  the  Philadelphia  Association. 

This  part  of  our  subject  will  be  closed  with 
a  brief  notice  of  one  of  our  ministers,  who 
was  baptized  at  Wilmington  by  the  Pastor  of 
the  First  Church  of  that  place.  He  became  a 
member  of  that  church,  and  retained  his  con- 
nection with  it  for  some  years ;  and  for  nearly 
half  a  century  was  the  Pastor  of  two  of  the 
churches  of  the  Delaware  Baptist  Union. 

Rev.  Joseph  Walker  was  born  near  Marcus 
Hook,  Delaware  County,  Pennsylvania,  Feb- 
ruary 14,  1787,  He  lived  with  his  father  upon 
the  farm  until  his  marriage,  working   Indus- 


RKV    .(OSKJ'll   WALIvKK. 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  141 

triously  with  his  own  hands.  His  conversion 
took  place  when  he  was  between  eighteen  and 
twenty  years  of  age.  His  mind  seems  to  have 
been  directed  to  the  subject  of  religion  by  a 
conversation  between  himself  and  Mr.  William 
G.  Jones,  who  afterward  was  his  brother-in-law 
and  lifelong  friend.  Alluding  to  it  in  a  letter 
to  Mr.  Jones,  he  says  :  ^^  This  was  the  first  per- 
sonal address  I  ever  had  on  the  subject  of  re- 
ligion, except  a  short  talk  with  my  father  sev- 
eral years  before,  when  I  was  on  a  sick  bed.'^ 
He  adds :  "  After  experience  and  reflection  I 
believe  there  is  nothing  so  calculated  to  deeply 
impress  the  mind  on  the  subject  of  religion  as 
personal  conversation  with  a  judicious  religious 
friend,"  and  regrets  that  he  had  let  so  many 
opportunities  of  this  kind  pass  without  im- 
provement. He  was  baptized  by  Rev.  Daniel 
Dodge,  then  Pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church, 
Wilmington,  Delaware,  February  6,  1806,  at 
the  age  of  twenty-one.  From  this  time  he  ever 
had  an  humble  view  of  self  and  an  exalted  one 
of  Christ.  He  was  ordained  to  the  work  of 
the  gospel  ministry  at  Marcus  Hook,  August 
7,  1824,  by  Eev.  William  Staughton,  D.  D., 
Rev.  Daniel  Lewis,  and  Rev.  Thomas  J.  Kitts, 


142       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

and  became  Pastor  of  the  church,  of  which  he 
retained  the  care  for  twenty  years.  He  had  but 
one  other  pastorate — the  Brandywine  Church, 
Delaware  County,  Pennsylvania,  which  he 
served  as  Pastor  twenty-four  years.  "  In  both 
of  these  charges  he  deserved  and  received  the 
respect  and  love  of  all.  Mr.  Walker  was  a 
staunch  and  thorough-going  Baptist ;  clear  and 
decided  in  his  convictions  of  Bible  truth,  un- 
swerving in  his  loyalty  to  the  Master.  In  all 
the  relations  of  life — as  a  man  of  business,  as  a 
magistrate,  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel — his  un- 
impeachable integrity  raised  him  above  mali- 
cious criticism.  His  memory  is  fragrant  in 
Delaware  County,  his  home  for  some  eighty 
years.'^  * 

Mr.  Walker  was  for  more  than  sixty  years  a 
member  of  the  Philadelphia  Association ;  in 
1826,  he  was  Clerk;  in  1829,  Moderator,  and 
for  several  years  President  of  its  Board  of 
Trustees.  He  was  only  absent  twice  in  sixty- 
two  years  from  its  regular  meetings.  The  last 
seven  years  of  his  life  were  spent  with  his 
daughter  and  son-in-law.  Dr.  Trevor,   in  Al- 

*  Eev.  E.  W.  Dickinson,  D.  D. :  Obituary  Report,  Phil- 
adelphia Association,  1870. 


DELAWARE   BAPTISTS.  143 

legheny   City,    where   he   died   February   28, 
1870.  ^ 

III.— CONCLUSION. 

It  remains  for  us  to  add  a  few  statistics  to 
show  the  growth  and  strength  of  the  later 
Baptist  churches  in  the  State  of  Delaware : 

Date.            Churches.         Members.  Contributions. 

1835                   1                        131  Notable  of  contributioM 

r»ork    (  published  in  the  Phila. 

1865                   4                    639  J  Association  Minutes. 

1875  10  886  $14,190.96 

1879  11  1924  20,190.96 

The  number  of  teachers  and  scholars  in  four- 
teen Sunday-schools,  2183. 

These  figures,  however,  show  growth  since 
1835,  which  is  an  evidence  of  God's  favor  upon 
the  Missionary  Baptists  in  the  State.  But 
more,  t\\^  later  Baptist  churches  of  Delaware 
belong  to  a  growing  people,  who  have  increased 
in  numbers,  in  the  United  States  alone,  from 
172,972  in  1812  to  2,133,440  in  1879.  Be- 
sides their  growth  at  home,  their  Missions 
have  been  successful  in  foreign  lands.  In 
1814,  there  were  two  Missionaries  among  the 
heathen,  supported  by  American  Baptists,  and 
no  Converts.     In   1879,  belonging  to  one  so- 


144       THE  EARLY  AND  LATER 

ciety  alone — The  American  Baptist  Missionary- 
Union — there  were  160  Missionaries,  990  Na- 
tive preachers,  904  Churches,  80,864  Members, 
all  converted  heathen,  and  18,000  Baptisms 
during  the  year.  In  addition  to  this,  the  Bible 
has  been  translated  into  the  languages  of  mil- 
lions of  the  human  race  by  the  Baptist  Mission- 
aries, and  by  them  freely  circulated  among  the 
heathen  and  the  converts  to  Christianity.  The 
native  Christian  converts  have  their  own  Con- 
ventions, Associations,  Schools,  and  Missions, 
conducted  by  themselves.  And  the  total  num- 
ber of  baptisms  by  the  Missionaries  of  the  Union 
up  to  1879  is  154,000,  or  nearly  as  many  as 
the  members  of  the  American  Baptist  churches 
when  Missions  to  Asia  were  inaugurated.  We 
exclaim,  "  What  hath  God  wrought !"  What 
results  from  their  principles  have  the  Anti- 
Mission  Baptist  churches  to  show,  either  at 
home  or  abroad? 

The  lesson  for  us  to-day  is  the  necessity  of 
the  Missionary  spirit  to  the  extension,  exist- 
ence, and  perpetuity  of  the  churches  of  Christ. 
And  these  facts  regarding  both  the  early  and 
later  Baptists  should  encourage  the  friends  of 
Jesus,  in  and  out  this  State,  to  redouble  their 


DELAWARE    BAPTISTS.  145 

eiForts  to  recover  lost  ground,  and  to  advance 
the  denomination  in  Delaware  to  the  position 
of  power  and  influence  it  would  now  most  })rol)- 
ably  occupy  if  there  had  been  no  check  to  its 
progress  in  the  past.  This  day,  but  for  the 
growth  of  this  Anti-Mission  evil,  the  Ba])tists 
of  this  State  would  be  second  to  none,  if  not 
leading  in  numbers  and  influence,  as  they  are 
in  some  other  States.  It  behooves  every  Baptist 
in  Delaware  to  become  identified  with  the  work 
of  the  denomination  in  the  State,  to  correspond 
with  the  nearest  Baptist  Pastor,  to  start  a  pray- 
er-meeting, or  a  Sunday-school,  or  a  church  in 
his  own  dwelling,  and  call  the  brethren  to  help 
in  the  work ;  and,  above  all,  to  })ray  for  the 
prosperity  of  our  Baptist  Zion. 

The  narrow-minded  may  think  that  sectari- 
anism prompts  this  appeal,  and  that  the  activity 
and  growth  of  Baptist  churches  will  be  at  the 
cost  of  other  denominations,  who  would  become 
weaker  as  we  grew  stronger.  But  the  reverse 
of  this  is  true.  The  Baptists  have  their  part 
to  do  in  the  evangelization  of  the  State ;  there 
are  sinners  to  be  saved.  The  prayer  is  needed 
here  as  elsewhere,  for  more  laborers.  Faith- 
fulness, and  consequent  growth,  on  the  part 
13  K 


146      THE    EARLY    AND    LATER   BAPTISTS. 

of  Baptists  would  only  tend  to  strengthen 
the  cause  of  true  religion  in  general,  and  to 
make  every  Christian  better  and  every  church 
stronger. 


ADDENDUM. 

Since  the  sketch  of  the  Milford  Church 
(page  122)  was  stereotyped,  it  has  been  ascer- 
tained that  its  Pastors  have  been  Rev.  Henry 
H.  Leamy,  Rev.  Levi  Thorne,  and  Rev.  A.  S. 
Bastian. 


INDEX, 


AccoMAc  Jail,  Rev.  E.  Baker 

in,  24. 
Adams,  Charles  Francis,  81. 
Adams,  John,  80. 
Ainger,  Abigail,  43. 
Ainger,  Rachel,  42. 
Ainger,  Rev.  Thomas,  41,  42. 

4.3,  45,  46,  47. 
Ainsworth,  E.,  137. 
Almond,  William,  47. 
American  Baptist  Home  Mis- 
sion  Society,   97,   98,    103, 

105,  115. 
American  Baptist  Missionary 

Union,  82. 
American  Baptist  Publication 

Society,  69,  71,  87,  137. 
Anderson,  G.,  D.  D.,  66. 
Andrews,  Rev.  Emerson,  100. 
Antinomianism,  7,  14,  94,  96. 
Arch      Street       Presbyterian 

Church,  41. 
Austermiihl,     Rev.     Edward, 

111,  140. 


Backus,  Rev.  J.  S.,  D.  D.,  121. 
Baker,  Rev.  Elijah,  22-25,  27, 

28,  34,  37,  39,  96,  106. 
Ball,  Mr.  S.  R.,  115. 
Bannister,  Ann,  97. 


Bannister,  Moses,  97. 

Baptism  at  midnight  in  the 
Lahn,  108. 

Baptism  in  Wilmington  by 
Rev.  P.  Hughes,  43. 

Baptist  Church,  what  it  is,  8. 

Baptist  Church  Manual,  113. 

Baptist  City  Mission,  Wil- 
mington, 129,  130. 

Baptist  Education  Society,  82. 

Baptist  General  Tract  Soci- 
ety, 87. 

Baptist  Missionary  Magazine, 
72. 

Baptist  Tract  Magazine,  69, 
71. 

Baptist  Visitor,  106,  132. 

Baptists  in  Pennsylvania,  10. 

Barker,  George  P.,  104,  137. 

Barker,  Ruth,  104. 

Bartlett,  Rev.  R.  E.,  123. 

Barton,  Elder  Thomas,  22,  87, 
91. 

Bastian,  Rev.  A.  S.,  35,  146. 

Batston,  Thomas,  Esq.,  24. 

Bauer,  Rev.  F.  A.,  111. 

Beckley,  Robinson,  97. 

Benedict,  Dr.  D.,  16,  18,  39, 
54,  58,  74,  75. 

,  his  History  of  the  Bap- 
tists, 47,  78,  SO,  81. 

Benson,  Rev.  John,  29,  37. 

147 


148 


INDEX. 


Benson,  Rev.  John,  death  of, 
30. 

Beswicks,  Vincent,  35. 

Bethany  Church,  Wilmington, 
139. 

Bethel  Church,  New  Castle 
County,  38,  64,  76,  77. 

Bethel  Church,  Sussex  Coun- 
ty, 77. 

Bickel,  P.  W.,  D.  D.,  67. 

Bishop,  Rev.  C.  J.  W.,  139. 

Blakely,  Reuben,  140. 

Bliss,  Prof.  G.  R.,  D.  D.,  138. 

Blockley  Church,  Philadel- 
phia, 62. 

Boggs,  Mr.  John,  Sr.,  46. 

Boggs,  Rev.  John,  21,  22,  30, 
32,  33,  34,  36,  38,  41,  42,  43, 
44. 

Boulder,  Susanna,  97. 

Bradford,  Rev.  George,  105, 
106,  120,  121,  139. 

Bradford,  John,  112. 

Bradford,  Rebecca,  112. 

Brandy  wine.  Battle  of  the,  58. 

Brandy  wine  Church,  40,  139, 
142. 

Bratton,  Alexander,  112. 

Bratton,  Amanda,  112. 

Bratton,  Kate,  112. 

Bratton,  Mary  A.,  112. 

Braunstein,  Catherine,  111. 

Braunstein,  Frank,  130. 

Braunstein,  Peter,  111. 

Braunstein,  Susan.  111. 

Broadaway,  Rev.  Samuel,  36. 

Broad  Creek  Church,  27,  28, 
39,  75,  76,  77. 

Brooks,  Rev.  John,  139. 

Brown  University,  59. 

Bryn  Zion  Church,  31. 

Bunyan,  John,  36. 

Burlington  Baptist  Church, 
N.  J.,  62. 


Burnham,    Deacon     Andrew, 

120. 
Bush,  Mrs.  Ann,  40. 
Bushell,  Rev.  Walter,  139. 

C. 

Callaghan  Brothers,  127. 

Campbell,  Mr.  William  M.,  63. 

Carey,  Absalom  H.,  137. 

Carleton,  Rev.  George,  101. 

Cathcart,  William,  D.  D.,  56, 
80,  138. 

Cathel,  Miss  Martha,  35. 

*'  Centennial  Offering  "  by  Dr. 
Cathcart,  80. 

Central  New  Jersey  Associa- 
tion, 90,  92. 

Century  Confession,  The,  17. 

Chalfant,  Jacob  M.,  99. 

Charlton,  Rev.  Frederick,  98, 

100,  101. 

Chester,  First  Church,  133, 
136    139. 

,  North,  Church,  139. 

,  South.  Church,  1.39. 

Chestnut  Hill,  first  Baptist 
preaching  at,  46. 

Church  Covenants,  introduc- 
tion of,  17. 

Circular  Letter  first  adopted 
by  Philadelphia  Associa- 
tion, 53. 

Clifton,  Daniel,  Esq.,  35. 

Clifton,  Mrs.  Mary  B.,  35. 

Cloward,  Eliza  Jane,  112. 

Cochran,  Jane,  97. 

Cohansey  Church,  N.  J.,  17. 

Cold  Spring  Baptist  Church, 
10. 

Cole,  Rev.  Dr.  Isaac,  106,  116. 

Coles,  Deacon  W.  C,  118. 

Coles,  Rev. ,  26. 

Collom,    Rev.    Jonathan    G., 

101,  104. 


INDEX. 


149 


Condron,    Rev.    George     M.. 

101. 
Cone,  S.  H.,  D.  D.,  70. 
Cook,  Rev.  R.  B.,  67,  68,  69, 

70,  102,  133,  134,  135,  139. 
Cow  Marsh  Church,  15.  30,  34, 

39,  74,  93. 
Gross,  Noah,  42. 
Crozer,  Mrs.  John  P.,  125, 127. 
Crozer,  Mr.   Samuel  A.,   127, 

138. 
Crozer  Theological  Seminary, 

94,  121,  124,  128,  134. 


Dagg,  John  L.,  I).  D.,  69,  70. 

Dale,  Mr.,  87,  88. 

Darby,  Susan,  97. 

Davis,  Mr.,  15. 

Davis,  Rev.  David,  20,  32,  33, 
54,  55. 

Davis,  Rev.  Hugh,  32. 

Davis,  Rev.  John,  54. 

Davis.  Rev.  Noah,  23. 

Davis,  Rev.  William,  33. 

Dazey,  Rev.  Eliphaz,  27,  31, 
33,  36,  43,  45. 

Decline  of  Baptist  Churches 
in  Delaware,  causes  of,  78. 

Deitz,  Rev.  Charles  M.,  139. 

Delaware  Association,  38,  48, 
50,  51,  61,  72,  74-96. 

Delaware  Association,  new, 
proposed,  132. 

Delaware  Avenue  Church, 
Wilmington,  112,  115,  127, 
130,  139. 

Delaware  Baptist  Missionary 
Union,  132,  140. 

,  ladies'  meeting  in  be- 
half of,  138. 

Delaware  Bible  Society,  84. 

Delaware,  first  Baptist  church- 
es in,  10, 

13* 


Delaware,  freedom  of  Baptiate 
in,  25. 

Delaware,  lesson  of  Baptist 
History  in,  7. 

Delaware,  needs  of,  8. 

Delaware  Society  for  Domes- 
tic Missions,  84,  87. 

Dennison,  Rev.  C.  W.,  101. 

Der  Sendbote,  HI. 

Dewees,  Col.,  57. 

Dewees,  Cornelius,  34,  35. 

Dewees,  Rev.  Joshua,  31,  36. 

Dickerson,  J.  S.,  D.  D.,  101. 

Dickinson,  E.  W.,  D.  D.,  132, 
142. 

Dingle,  Rev.  Edward  Carter, 
27,  30. 

Disputation  between  Abel  Mor- 
gan and  Samuel  Finley,  53. 

Dobbins.  Rev.  Frank  S.,  72. 

Dodge,  Daniel,  D.  D.,  47,  48, 
61,  82.  83,  141. 

Dover  Church,  103-107,  120, 
121,  132,  137. 

Dowon,  Rev.  Z.  T.,  134. 

Downer,  Rev.  J.  R.,  135,  138. 

Dutch  Creek  Church,  15,  31, 
39,  74. 

DufFee,  Deacon,  137. 

Duval,  Rev.  B.  F.,  44. 

Dvvyer,  Rev.  W.  H.  H.,  117. 

Dver,  Rev.  S.,  Ph.  D.,  138. 


Earle,  a.  B.,  D.  D.,  116. 

Earle,  Alfred,  50. 

Earle,  C.  C,  140. 

Earle,  Samuel,  50. 

East  Landing  Church,  32. 

Eastwood,  Rev.    Thomas   M.. 

123,  128,  129,  134,  136,  139 

140. 
Eaton,  Rev.  Isaac,  A.  M.,  55. 
Edwards,  Rev.  Morgan,  A.  M., 


150 


mDEX. 


16,  18,  19,  24,  25,  27,29,31, 
84,  36,  37,  39,  40,  41,  44,  45, 
58-60,  75,  81. 

Ellis,  John,  46. 

Elm  Street  Church,  Wilming- 
ton, 123,  128,  129,  130. 

Emmons,  Harry,  137. 

Evans,  Mr.,  15. 

Evans,  Rev.  Thomas,  53. 


Farrell,  Rev.  Gideon,  21,  27, 

31,  33,  34,  46,  63,  69. 
Farrell,  Mary,  63. 
Fellman,  Rev.  J.,  112. 
Ferris,  Mrs.,  42. 

Fifth  Church,  Philadelphia, 
64. 

Finley,  Rev.  Samuel,  53. 

First  Church,  Philadelphia, 
52,  59. 

First  Church,  Wilmington,  40, 
50,  76.  77,  84,  92,  102,  113. 
123,  127. 

First  German  Church,  Phila- 
delphia, 109. 

First  German  Church,  Wil- 
mington, 107-112. 

First  Presbyterian  Church, 
Wilmington,  M. 

Fleeson,  Rev.  Thomas,  23,  30, 

32,  34,  36,  41,  42,  43,  44,  45. 
Fleischman,  Rev.  Conrad,  109, 

110. 
Fletcher,  Rev.  Leonard,  97. 
Flippo,  Rev.  0.  F.,  105,  106, 

118,  119,  120,  121,  122,  130, 

132. 
Flood,  Rev.  Joseph,  30,  36,  46. 
Folwell,  Rev.  George  W.,  51. 

114,  118,  121,  132,  138. 
Fouling  Creek,  Maryland,  26, 

28. 
Frame,  Miles  P.,  137. 


Franklin,  Benjamin,  54. 
Freehold  Church,  New  Jersey, 

55. 
Friendship       Engine  -  house, 

meeting  in,  12. 
Fulton,  J.  D.,  D.  D.,  8. 

G. 

Galbraith,  John,  127. 
Gano,  Rev.  John.  55. 
Garrett.  Mr.  W.  E.,  127. 
Gartside,  Mr.  Benjamin,  Sr., 

127,  137. 
Gates,  General,  58. 
Gawthrop,  Alfred,  Esq.,   100, 

118,  138. 
George,  J.  H.,  137. 
George.  Mrs.  Jonathan,  125. 
Georgetown  Church,  32. 
German       Baptist       Church. 

Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  107. 
German   Baptists,  connection 

of,  with  Delaware  Baptists, 

71. 
German  Church,  Wilmington, 

71. 
Gibbins,  Rev.  John,  27,  28. 
Gibbins,    Rev.  Jonathan,  27, 

30,  37. 
Gibbins,  Deacon  Joshua,  30. 
Gibbins,  Rev.  Samuel,  27,  29. 
Gilbert,  Rev.  Curtis,  43. 
Gill,  Dr.  John,  of  London,  59. 
Gill,  Rev.  T.  A.,  U.  S.  N.,  114. 
Gillette,  A.  D.,  D.  D.,  80,  104. 
Gospel  Church,  a,  42. 
Grafton,  Elder  William,  22. 
Graham,  Sarah  A.,  97. 
Gravelly    Branch   Church,  28, 

30,  37,  39,  75,  77. 
Great  Valley    Church,   Penn- 
sylvania, 32,  55,  56,  61. 
Green,  Rev.  Samuel  R.,  48,  84. 
Greene,  Rev,  David,  85. 


INDEX. 


151 


Gregg,  Lucy  V.,  112, 127. 
Gregg,  William  H.,  112,  113, 

127,  130,  137. 
Griffith,    Rev.    Benjamin,    of 

Montgomery  Church,  20. 
Griffith,  Benjamin.  D.  D.,  99. 
Griffith,  Rev.  Thomas,  U,  19. 
Griffiths,  Abel,  43. 
Grimmell,  Jeremiah,  71,  107, 

108,  110. 
Grimmell,  Rev.  Julius  C,  107. 
Grimmell,  Margaret,  110. 

H. 
Haldeman,   Rev.    Isaac  M., 

114,  139. 
Harker,  Rev.  Samuel,  54,  87. 
Harper,  Rev.  H.  B.,  135,  139, 

140. 
Harris,  Samuel,  24. 
Harrison,  Rev,  Charles,  107. 
Haselhuhn,  Rev.  J.  C,  111. 
Has  well,  Rev.  J.  M.,  116. 
Heath,  Rev.  M,,  120,  121,  122, 

131,  138. 
Heazlet,  John,  97. 
Hera,  Rev.  E.  R.,  104. 
Heyburn,  G.  E.,  137. 
Hirzel,  Mrs.  Theresa,  111. 
Historical    Society    of    Dela- 
ware, 44. 
History,  what  it  is,  6. 
Hodgman,  Mr.  S.  A.,  100. 
Hoefflin,  Rev.  J.  M.,  107,  108, 

112,  139. 
Hopkins,  Rev.  C.  J.,  105. 
Hopkins,  Elizabeth,  43. 
Hope,  Rev.   J.  M,,   118,  119, 

120,  121,  122,  139. 
Housel,  AVilson,  50. 
Howe,  General,  58. 
Hudson  River  Association,  90, 

92. 
Hughes,  Evan  David,  33. 


Hughes,  Rev.  Philip,  21,  22, 
25,  26,  27,  28,  30,  34,  37,  39, 
40,  42,  43,  44,  96,  106. 

Hyatt,  James,  33. 

I. 

Imposition    of    hands,    intro- 
duction of,  17. 
Independents,  the,  32. 
Iron  Hill  Meeting-house,  15. 
Irving,  James,  137. 


James,  E.  F.,  138. 
James,  James,  16. 
James,  Maury,  130. 
James,  Rev.  Owen,  138. 
James,  Philip,  16. 
Jerseys,  the,  18. 
Johnson,  G.  J.,  D.  D.,  138. 
Johnson,  Rev.  Jethro,  72,  86, 

87. 
Jones,  Rev.  David,  A.  M.,  45, 

55-58. 
Jones,  Eleanor  Evans,  55. 
•Jones,  Rev.  Griffith,  33. 
Jones,  Horatio  Gates,  D.  D., 

55. 
Jones,  Hon.  H.  G.,  55,  58. 
Jones,  Rev.  James,  33. 
Jones,  Rev.  Jenkin,  52. 
Jones,  Rev.  Miller,  139. 
Jones,  Morgan,  55. 
Jones,  Rev.  P.  L.,  134. 
Jones,  Samuel,  D.  D.,  45,  53. 
Jones,    Mr.    Washington,    98, 

99,  100,  130,  137,  138. 
Jones,  Mr.  William  G.,  99, 102, 

141. 

K. 

Kaiser,  Mrs.  Elizabeth,  111. 
Kalley,  Walter,  140. 
Kees,  Thomas  C,  112. 


152 


INDEX. 


Kelsay,  Rev.  R.,  30. 
Kennard,  Joseph  H.,  D.  D.,  50, 

61,  97. 
Kennard,  J.  Spencer,   D.   D., 

63. 
King,  Peter.  35. 
Kitts,  Rev.  Thomas  J.,  48,  61. 

141. 
Knapp,     Elder    Jacob,     100, 

101. 
Knowlton,  Mrs.  M.  J.,  138. 

L. 

Leach,  Rev.  Sakdford,  100, 
101. 

Leamy,  Rev.  Henry  H.,  146. 

Lehmann's  "  Baptist  Churches 
in  Germany,"  66. 

LeMaistre,  George  A.,  100. 

LeMaistre,  Mrs.  George  A., 
138. 

Lemon,  Dr.  Robert,  24,  96. 

Lewis,  Rev,  Daniel,  141. 

Lewis,  Rev.  David,  49. 

Lewisburg  University,  128. 

Lincoln  Church,  117,"'ll8,  122. 

Little  Creek  Church,  76,  77. 

London  Tract  Church,  Penn- 
sylvania, 15,  44. 

Long.  Prof.  J.  C,  D.  D.,  138. 

Lord's  Supper  administered 
in  private  houses,  33. 

Louden.  Mr.,  38. 

Lower  Dublin  Church,  10,  52. 

Lower  Saxony  Tract  Society, 
68. 

Lunsford,  Rev.  Lewis,  26. 

M. 
Mack,  Deacon  F.  C,  116, 137. 
Maclay,  Dr.,  68. 
MacMackin.  Rev.  B.,  124,  126, 

134,  139. 
Madison  University,  131. 


Maginn,  Eugene,  140. 

Magnolia  Church,  117,  121, 
122,  139. 

Magonagill,  Beulah,  104. 

Manning,  Dr.  James,  53. 

Marcus  Hook  Church,  102, 
139,  141. 

Marsh,  Rev,  W.  H.  H.,  51. 
101,  118,  132. 

Maryatt,  Rev.  E,  E.,  121,  128. 

Matthews,  William,  50. 

Mattson,  Mary,  43. 

McArthur,  Rev.  Alexander, 
101,  185,  138. 

McCollin,  Mrs.  P.  G.,  138. 

McDowel,  Mr.  Philip,  114. 

McKannan,  Rev.  Mr.,  42,  43, 
44. 

McKeever,  F.  G.,  140. 

McKim,  John,  43. 

McLaughlin,  Rev.  James,  42, 
43. 

Media  Baptist  Church,  Penn- 
sylvania, 136,  139, 

Meredith,  Job.  Sr.,  31. 

Meredith,  Luff,  31. 

Meredith,  Rev.  Peter,  36,  93. 

Merriken,  Rev,  Richard  H., 
119. 

Middletown  Chui'ch,  New  Jer- 
sey, 53. 

Miles,  Rev.  George  L,  97. 

Miles.  Richard,  18. 

Milford  Church,  118,  122, 136. 
139,  146. 

Miller,  Rev.  John,  50. 

Miller,  Mrs.  S.  M.,  138. 

Millsborough  Church,  77. 

Mispillion  Church,  15,  34,  36, 
39,  74,  75,  77. 

Missionary  Societies  in  Dela- 
ware, decline  of,  90-96. 

Missionary  Society  in  Dela- 
ware, 82-90. 


INDEX. 


153 


Missionary  spirit,  necessity 
of,  144. 

Montgomery  Church,  Pa.,  20. 

Moore,  Rev.  B.  T.,  124,  139. 

Moore,  Marion,  112. 

Morgan,  Rev.  Abel,  translates 
the  Confession,  17. 

Morgan,  Rev.  Abel,  Jr.,  A.  M., 
16,  53,  54,  55,  60. 

Morgan  ap  Rhyddarch,  20. 

Morgan,  Rev.  Enoch,  20,  32. 

Morton,  David,  38. 

Mount  Moriah,  see  Cow  Marsh. 

Mount  Zion  Church,  Inde- 
pendent, 32. 

Miihlhausen,  John,  111. 

Miihlhausen,  Sophia,  111. 

N. 
Naylor,  Rev.  N.  C,  106,  123. 
Neutze,  Frederick,  111. 
Newark  Academy,  34. 
New  Castle  Church,  124-127, 

139. 
New  Jersey   Association,  90, 

92. 
New  Market  Street  (Fourth) 

Church,  Philadelphia,  62. 
New  York  Association,  90,  92. 
Nichols,  Rev.  D.  A.,  104,  105. 


Old  ScnooL  Baptists,  140. 

Old  School  and  New  School 
Baptists,  94,  95. 

Old  Swedes'  Church,  Wilming- 
ton, 10. 

Oncken,  John  G.,  D.  D.,  65- 
71,  108. 

Owens,  Dr.  Frederick,  137. 


Paoli,  massacre  at,  58. 
Parham,  Miss  E.  C,  117. 


Parker,  Rev.  B.  G.,  107,  134, 
135,  136,  139. 

Parris,  George,  103,  104,  136, 
137,  140. 

Parris,  Jane  E.,  104. 

Parsons,  Mr.,  32. 

Patten,  Rev.  John,  3.3,  34. 

Peck,  John  M.,  D.  D.,  72. 

Peckworth,  Rev.  John  P.,  49, 
50,  82. 

Pencader  Academy,  53. 

Pendleton,  J.  M.,  D.  D.,  138. 

Penn,  Admiral,  25. 

Penn,  William,  advocates  lib- 
erty of  conscience,  25. 

,  landing  of,  10. 

,  purchase  of  land  from, 

15. 

Pennsylvania  General  Asso- 
ciation, 62. 

Pennypack  Church,  14,  18. 

Pepper,  Prof.  G.  D.  B.,  D.  D., 
135,  138. 

Pepper,  Mrs.  G.  D.  B.,  138. 

Phoenix  Engine-house,  meet- 
ings in,  113. 

Philadelphia  Association,  17, 
20,  31,  33,  34,4.3,48,  50,  51, 
52,  61,  74,  75,  80,  90,  92,  97, 
101,  113,  115,  123,  124,  128, 
132. 

,  Delaware  churches  con- 
nected with,  140. 

,  first  printing  of  Minutes 

by,  60. 

Philadelphia,  First  Church, 
40,  49. 

Piep grass.  Rev.  R.,  111. 

Piscataway  Church,  New  Jer- 
sey, 48. 

Plymouth  Church,  115-117, 
122. 

Pollard,  Rev.  John,  30. 

Porter,  Mr.,  38. 


154 


INDEX. 


Presbyterians,  Baptist  Church 
in  Wilmington  established 
by,  41. 

Princeton  College,  Isew  Jer- 
sey, 54. 

Probasco,  Mr.  R.  W.  L.,  132. 

Pulpit,  movable,  in  private 
houses,  37. 

Purinton,  Rev.  D.  B.,  105, 
115,  116,  117,  118. 

Putnam,  Rev.  H.  C,  105. 


Queen  Anxe's  Church.  74. 
Quinby,  Edgar  H.,  100. 

R. 

Radnor  Church,  Pennsyl- 
vania, 18. 

Ransom,  Elder  Elisha,  48. 

Read,  Rev.  J.  S.,  139. 

Read,  Mr.  Miles  S.,  121. 

Read.  Mr.  William  S.,  121. 

Reader,  Rev.  J.  J.,  107. 

Redman.  John,  42,  43. 

Rhees,  Morgan  J..  D.  D.,  78, 
98,  100. 

Rhode  Island  College,  see 
Brown  Universitv,  29. 

Rice,  Mr.,  83. 

Ridley  Church,  Pa.,  139. 

Rittenhouse.  Elder  E.,  50,  77. 

Robinson,  Rev. William  K.,  22, 
92. 

Rogers,  William,  D.  D.,  75. 

Rowanty  Church,  26. 

Roxborough  Church,  Pa.,  46. 

Russell,  William,  137. 


Salisbury,  birthplace  of  Rev. 

Xoah  Davis,  23. 
Salisbury  Association,  23,  27, 

34,  37,  75,  76,  77. 


I  Salisbury,  Mr.  E.  H.,  117,  137. 
I  Salisbury,  Rev.  E.  P.,  116, 117. 
I  Salisbury,  Mrs.  E.  P.,  117. 
!  Sansom  Street  Church,  Phila- 
delphia, 64,  65,  70. 
Schuylkill,    baptism    in     the, 

46. 
Schwager,  Elizabeth,  111. 
Schwager.  Mr.  John,  109,  111. 
Scott,  Mr.,  93. 
Sears,  Barnas,  D.  D.,  LL.D., 

66,  68. 
Second  Church,  Boston,  Mass., 

54. 
Second      Church,      Hopewell, 

New  Jersey,  62. 
Second  Church,  Philadelphia, 

48,  61. 
Second   Church,  Wilmington. 

96-102,  103,  109,  110,   112. 

113,  134. 
Semple.  Miss  Anne,   65,  108, 
I       110,  112,  113. 
Semple,  Rev.  R.  B.,  24. 
Semple's  History,  96. 
Separate  Baptists,  23. 

Shaffer. ,  122. 

Shanaielt,  Rev.  A.  F.,  121. 
Shiloh    Church,    Wilmington. 

123,  139. 
Singing,  introduction  of.  16, 17. 
Slack,  Mary,  112,  113.  ' 
Smart,  Joseph,  50. 
Smith.  Elnathan,  137. 
Smith,  J.  Wheaton,  D.  D.,  133, 

134. 
Smith,  Mary,  112. 
Smith,  Robert,  42,  43. 
Snead,  Rev.  S.,  36. 
Society  for    the    Propagation 

of    the    Faith    in    Foreign 

Parts,  81. 
Sounds,   the,  Church,   27,  28, 

39,  75,  77. 


INDEX. 


155 


South  Carolina,  church  form- 
ed in,  15,  16. 

South  Philadelphia  Associa- 
tion, considered,  133. 

Southampton  Church,  Penn- 
sylvania, 55. 

Spencer,  Rev.  David,  46,  55, 
138. 

Spencer,  Rev.  W.  H.,  117, 118, 
119. 

Springer,  Margaret,  97. 

Stadiger,  Mr.  J.  J.,  127. 

Statistics  of  Delaware  Baptist 
Churches.  143. 

Staton,  Elder  G.  W.,  22. 

Staughton,  William,  D.  D.,  83, 
141. 

Steele,  Rev.  Isaac,  30. 

Steelman,  Rev.  H,,  139. 

Sterrett,  Margaret,  97. 

Stettzer,  Mrs.,  35. 

Stewart,  A.  B.,  137. 

Stites,  Jonathan.  103,  104. 

Stites,  Marv,  103.  104. 

Stow,  Mr.  John,  40,  43. 

Stow,  Sarah,  43. 

Stow,  Thomas,  43. 

Street,  George,  140. 

Stroud,  Mary  E.,  97. 

Strumpfer,  Rev.  John  D.,  49. 

Sullivan,  Rev.  J.  Wesley,  139. 

Sutton,  Rev.  John,  21,  30,  33. 

Swaim,  Thomas,  D.  D.,  122, 
138. 

T. 
Tage,  J.  M.,  137. 
Taylor,  J.  B.  D.  D.,  23. 
,  his  Historv  of  Virginia 

Baptists.  96. 
Tenth    Church,  Philadelphia, 

62. 
Third   Church,    Philadelphia, 

49. 


Thomas,  Rev.  A.  G.,  135,  136, 
139. 

Thomas,  Rev.  B.  D.,  64. 

Thomas,  Rev.  Elisha,  19. 

Thomas,  Rev.  Ovren,  20. 

Thompson,  Rev.  David,  26. 

Thompson,  Rev.  John  P.,  103. 

Thorne,  Rev.  Levi.  146. 

Tindall,  Gideon  F.,  97. 

Todd,  Sally  Ann,  97. 

Tomlinson,  Joseph,  43. 

Townsend,  Charles,  112. 

Trevor,  M.  K.,  M.  D.,  142. 
I  Trott,  Rev.  Samuel,  22,  90, 
1  Trumpp,  Rev.  H.,  111. 

Tubbs,  Captain  Calvin,  6.3-71, 


Tubbs,  Calvin,  Jr.,  67. 
Tubbs,  Samuel  Welsh,  67. 
TuU,  Mr.,  27. 
Turley,  Captain  E.,  65. 


University  ofPexnsylvama, 

54. 
Ustick,  Rev.  Thomas,  49,  95. 

V. 

Village  Gseen  Chukch,  139. 
Vreeland.  Rev.  P.  S.,  133. 

W. 

Walker,  Elizabeth,  104. 

Walker,  Rev.  Henry,  42,  43. 

Walker,  Rev.  Joseph,  140-143. 

Walter,  Rev.  John  P.,  103, 
104. 

Warren,  Jonah  G.,  D.  D.,  70. 

Waters,  Rev.  James,  101,  121. 

Watts,  Brother,  18. 

Way,  Mrs.  Elizabeth,  40,  43. 

Wayland,  H.  L.,  D.  D.,  138. 

Wayland  Seminary,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  124. 


156 


INDEX. 


Wayne,  General  Anthony,  58. 

Webb,  A.  M.,  117,  118,  122. 

Welsh  Concordance,  20. 

Welsh.  Hon.  John,  67. 

Welsh,  John.  Esq.,  65. 

Welsh  Neck  Association,  16. 

Welsh  Neck  Church,  South 
Carolina,  16. 

Welsh  Tract,  15. 

Welsh  Tract  Church,  14,  15, 
18,  11),  aO,  40,  42,  52,  53,  54, 
55,  63,  74.  76,  77,  80,  83,  84, 
90,  92. 

,  branches  of,  31. 

,  out-stations  of,  38. 

Welsh  Tract  Church  Book,  17. 

Weston,  President  H.G.,  D.  D., 
1.34,  138. 

Weston,  Dr.  J.  B.,  137. 

Wilegoos,  Mr.,  27. 

Williams,  C.  F.,  140. 

Williams,  Thomas,  43. 

Williamsburg  Church,  108. 

Willis,  Mr.,  15. 

AVillis,  Rev.  ,  26. 

Willis,  John,  37. 

Wilmington,  origin  of  Bap- 
tists in,  39. 


Wilmington,  First  Church,  15, 

48,  50,  61,  74,  97. 
Wilmington,     First     German 

Church,  139. 
Wilmington,    Second    Church 

formed,  92. 
Wilmington  Institute,  113. 
Winter,  Thomas,  D.  D.,  51. 
Women  collectors  for  Domes- 
tic Missions,  84. 
Woolford,   Rev.    Stephen   W., 

21,  87,  88. 
Woolsey,  Rev.  James  J.,  97. 
Worth," Rev.  William,  30. 
AYright,  Rev.  T.  G.,  136,  139. 
Wyoming    Church,    120,    121, 

139. 
Wyoming  Institute,  105,  106, 

121,  130. 

Y. 

YORKTOWN,  58. 

Young,  Rev.  William  H.,  124, 
126,  136,  137. 

Z. 

ZiON   Church,   118-120,   121, 
123,  139. 


THE   BUTD. 


COLUMBIA   UNIVERSITY   LIBRARIES 

This  book  is  due  on  the  date  indicated  below,  or  at  t 
expiration  of  a  definite  period  after  the  date  of  borrowing, 
provided  by  the  library  rules  or  by  special  arrangerxient  wi 
the  Librarian  in  charge. 


DATE  BORROWED 

DATE  DUE 

DATE  BORROWED 

DATE  DL 

:28  (747,  MICO 

938*  5 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY 


0035520868 


The  early  and  later  Pplawara 

Baptists. 


s^""-- 


